lupin

Meaning

Noun

• Any member of the genus Lupinus in the family Fabaceae.
• A lupin bean, a yellow legume seed of a Lupinus plant (usually Lupinus luteus (species)), used as feed for sheep and cattle and commonly eaten in the Mediterranean area and in Latin America although toxic if prepared improperly.

Origin

• From Middle English lupyne, lupine, from Old French lupin, from Latin lupīnus ("pertaining to the wolf"). The reason for association of the plant with the wolf is the wolf-like “fang” within the blossom. It has also been linked to an assumed depletion of nutrients in the soil.