a tropical climbing leguminous plant, Stizolobium (or Mucuna) pruriens, whose bristly pods cause severe itching and stinging
2.
the pods of this plant or the stinging hairs covering them
Word origin
C17: from Hindi kavāch, of obscure origin
cowitch in American English
(ˈkauɪtʃ)
noun
cowage
Word origin
[1795–1805]This word is first recorded in the period 1795–1805. Other words that entered Englishat around the same time include: crunch, hopscotch, mannerism, mirage, oxidize