ˈmetˌkaf-, -_kəf-, -ˌkȧf noun
Usage: usually capitalized M
Etymology: after J. K. Metcalfe who introduced it to the southwestern United States in the late 19th century
1. : a prostrate perennial bean ( Phaseolus metcalfei ) of the southwestern United States and adjacent Mexico that is sometimes cultivated for forage
2. : the flat circular brownish black seed of the Metcalfe bean