Lima beans are flat round beans that are light green in colour and are eaten as a vegetable. They are the seeds of a plant that grows in tropical parts of America.
lima bean in British English
(ˈlaɪmə, ˈliː-)
noun
1.
any of several varieties of the bean plant, Phaseolus lunatus (or P. limensis), native to tropical America but cultivated in the US for its flat pods containing pale green edible seeds
2.
the seed of such a plant
See also butter bean
Word origin
C19: named after Lima
lima bean in American English
(ˈlaɪmə)
1.
a common variety of bean (Phaseolus limensis), with creamy flowers and broad pods
2.
the broad, flat, nutritious seed of this plant
Word origin
after Lima, Peru: from being native to tropical America