tepary bean

[ tep-uh-ree ]

noun

1. a twining or bushy plant, Phaseolus acutifolius latifolius, of the legume family, native to Mexico and Arizona, having white or violet-colored flowers, grown as a food plant in dry regions.

Word History and Origins

Origin of tepary bean¹

An Americanism dating back to 1910–15; origin uncertain

Example Sentences

After seven days in the desert scrubland, the scientists left with a sample of nature's bounty: wild tepary bean plants.

From Salon

Indigenous communities in the Sonoran Desert have cultivated the tiny, drought-tolerant tepary bean for millennia.

From Seattle Times

And tepary bean has to be grown in the wild.

From Salon

He explained that the tepary bean was a neglected crop, grown by native Americans in the southwest US and Mexico in very hot and dry environments.

From BBC

So and other agricultural practices is one there's a tepary bean recipe in the book.

From Salon