lima bean

[lahy-muh] /ˈlaɪ mə/
noun
1.
a bean, Phaseolus limensis, having a broad, flat, edible seed.
2.
the seed, used for food.
Origin
1810-20; named after Lima, Peru
British Dictionary definitions for lima bean

lima bean

/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
Word Origin and History for lima bean
n.

1756, associated with Lima, Peru, from which region the plant (Phaseolus lunatus) was introduced to Europe c.1500. Among the earliest New World crops to be known in the Old World, Simmonds' "Dictionary of Trade" (1858) describes it as "esteemed," but it has the consistency of a diseased dog kidney.