French bean

noun

1. British. the pod of a green bean or wax bean, eaten as a vegetable.

French bean

noun

1. a small twining bushy or annual bean plant, Phaseolus vulgaris , with white or lilac flowers and slender green edible pods
2. the pod of this plant See also haricot

Word History and Origins

Origin of French bean¹

First recorded in 1545–55

Example Sentences

Her parents later moved to Mead Lane, Chertsey, not far from the allotments where the family grew radicchio, French beans and runner beans and gathered blackberries growing wild.

From BBC

Morris Mutunga grows kale, spinach and amaranth on his five-acre farm in the Athi River area but has watched crops like French beans wither when irrigated with water from the river.

From Seattle Times

Steamed French beans or broad beans; peas or pencil-thin carrots; young, steamed beetroot or small summer turnips will all work.

From The Guardian

Tulips were part of a cornucopia of new plants to arrive in Europe in the 16th Century, including potatoes, green and red peppers, tomatoes, Jerusalem artichokes, French beans and runner beans.

From BBC

And then there were French beans that he had blanched in a star anise stock; it still looked like a simple raw bean, but so much flavour had infused into it.

From The Guardian