lupin

Definition

Any member of the genus Lupinus in the family Fabaceae.

Etymology

From Middle English lupyne, lupine, from Old French lupin, from Latin lupīnus (“pertaining to the wolf”), because of the wolf-like “fang” within the blossom. It has also been linked to an assumed depletion of nutrients in the soil.

Example Sentences

• "Amongst the herbs to be administered when the charm was sung over him were a yew-berry, lupin, helenium, marsh mallow, dock, elder, wormwood and strawberry leaves."
• "Lupins had been introduced into German agriculture in 1841 and had rapidly become a popular and useful feed for sheep as well as being used as a green manure plant for increasing soil fertility in poor-quality, sandy soils."
• "Lupins contain less than 3% starch (Evans, 1994), the main fermentable carbohydrate involved in rumen acidosis when cereal grains are fed to ruminants. For this reason lupins have generally been regarded as a completely safe feed for sheep and cattle, and required no gradual introduction (Rowe, 1995)."