bean
the edible nutritious seed of various plants of the legume family, especially of the genus Phaseolus.
a plant producing such seeds.
the pod of such a plant, especially when immature and eaten as a vegetable.
any of various other beanlike seeds or plants, as the coffee bean.
Slang.
a person's head.
a coin or a bank note considered as a coin: I can't pay for the ticket, I don't have a bean in my jeans.
British Informal. a minimum amount of money: They've been disinherited and now haven't a bean.
beans, Informal. the slightest amount: He doesn't know beans about navigation.
Slang. to hit on the head, especially with a baseball.
beans, (used to express disbelief, annoyance, etc.)
Idioms about bean
full of beans, Informal.
energetic; vigorously active; vital: He is still full of beans at 95.
stupid; erroneous; misinformed.
spill the beans, Informal. to disclose a secret, either accidentally or imprudently, thereby ruining a surprise or plan: He spilled the beans, and she knew all about the party in advance.
Origin of bean
1Other words from bean
- beanlike, adjective
Words that may be confused with bean
Words Nearby bean
Other definitions for Bean (2 of 2)
Alan L(aVern), 1932–2018, U.S. astronaut.
Roy "Judge", 1825?–1903, U.S. frontiersman and justice of the peace: called himself “the law west of the Pecos.”
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use bean in a sentence
Once they discovered the ideal host plant, a kind of native bean, the villagers started planting it among their crops and along local pathways.
They're Healthy. They're Sustainable. So Why Don't Humans Eat More Bugs? | Aryn Baker | February 26, 2021 | TimeIt’s very weeknight-friendly, since the stew uses canned beans and comes together quickly — although you could certainly rely on dried beans that you cook yourself.
Crown a bowl of beans with jewel-toned salad for a fresh, flavorful meal | Ellie Krieger | February 25, 2021 | Washington PostHe ate a lot of rice and beans to ensure that he left me with an inheritance he thought would keep me safe in a world without him.
For years, I’ve tried to work my way back into the middle class | Amy Nordrum | February 23, 2021 | MIT Technology ReviewWinter’s produce is less than inspiring, you’ve done all the things one can do to a bean, and while the digital cook-o-sphere is loaded with ideas, there are just too many of them.
The Best Recipes to Cook This Week, According to Eater Staffers Who Actually Cooked Them | Eater Staff | January 29, 2021 | EaterThe beans should be creamy and crush easily between two fingers.
A French green bean salad with warm goat cheese reminds Ina Garten of having lunch in Paris.
Also making appearances in the early Garfield specials are the original Bilbo Baggins, Orson bean, and a pre-Cheers George Wendt.
Garfield Television: The Cat Who Saved Primetime Cartoons | Rich Goldstein | November 5, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTThis has occurred with bean bag chairs, children's sweaters, and the Coco The Monkey Teething Toy.
9-Year Old With an Uzi? America Is Tougher on Toys Than Guns | Cliff Schecter | August 28, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTbean is to dying onscreen what Kevin Bacon is to being connected with every other actor.
Life After Deaths: Sean Bean on 'Game of Thrones' Paternity and 'Legends' | Jason Lynch | August 11, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTSpending time with bean is somewhat disconcerting after seeing him play so many somber, doomed roles.
Life After Deaths: Sean Bean on 'Game of Thrones' Paternity and 'Legends' | Jason Lynch | August 11, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTOnce even a blue bean (a bullet) made sad work with my head, and my fist has got a deuce of a smashing.
Tobacco; Its History, Varieties, Culture, Manufacture and Commerce | E. R. Billings.Brazilian bean; the common bean, Phaseolus vulgaris, indigenous to America.
Called "Brazilian bean," because it resembled a bean then known in France by that name.
They are coffee-bean-shaped cocci which lie in pairs with their flat surfaces together (Fig. 116).
A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis | James Campbell ToddAt daylight he opened another can of beans and made himself two thick bean sandwiches, and walked on while he ate them slowly.
Cabin Fever | B. M. Bower
British Dictionary definitions for bean
/ (biːn) /
any of various leguminous plants of the widely cultivated genus Phaseolus producing edible seeds in pods: See French bean, lima bean, scarlet runner, string bean
any of several other leguminous plants that bear edible pods or seeds, such as the broad bean and soya bean
any of various other plants whose seeds are produced in pods or podlike fruits
the seed or pod of any of these plants
any of various beanlike seeds, such as coffee
US and Canadian slang another word for head
cool beans slang excellent; impressive
not have a bean slang to be without money: I haven't got a bean
full of beans informal
full of energy and vitality
US mistaken; erroneous
spill the beans informal to disclose something confidential
mainly US and Canadian slang (tr) to hit (a person) on the head
Origin of bean
1Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Other Idioms and Phrases with bean
see full of beans; not have a bean; not know beans; not worth a dime (bean); spill the beans; tough break (beans).
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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