Peas are small round seeds of the pea plant (Pisum sativum). The fruit can be yellow or green, and is eaten both dry and fresh. When fresh, they are called green peas. Some varieties of pea have sweet, low-fiber pods, which can be eaten as a fresh vegetable called green pea pods or sugar snap peas.
The term "pea" is also used to refer to related species, including pigeon pea, cow pea, and grey pea.
Word origins
The word peas derives from Latin pisum, which entered English as pease, with the plural form peasen. The singular form "pea" was invented as a back-formation in the 17th century.