Meanings
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1
noun
a perennial legume, Medicago sativa, grown widely for hay, animal feed, and soil improvement
The farmer irrigated the alfalfa before cutting it for hay.
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2
noun
the young shoots of this plant, eaten as sprouts
She added alfalfa sprouts to the sandwich for extra crunch.
Thesaurus
Etymology
Borrowed from Spanish alfalfa, from Arabic al-fasfasa, the name of the fodder plant. The crop spread westward through the Arabic-speaking world and Spain before its Spanish name entered American English.