wax bean

noun

1. a variety of string bean bearing yellowish, waxy pods.
2. the pod of this plant, used for food.

wax bean

noun

1. any of certain string beans that have yellow waxy pods and are grown in the US

Word History and Origins

Origin of wax bean¹

An Americanism dating back to 1905–10

Example Sentences

What I want it to be is fresher, brighter and herbier than the most classic versions, which rely entirely on canned beans — green beans, wax beans and kidney beans.

From New York Times

I usually wait until May to sow beans, but this year, I sowed some pole wax beans a month early.

From Washington Post

Other oddities happened along the way at Il Nido, too, like a dish of chewy, dry wax beans.

From Seattle Times

Varieties include slender haricots verts, Blue Lake and pale yellow wax beans, with meaty, flat Romano beans also starting to show up.

From Los Angeles Times

Tomatoes and cucumbers are grown in hothouses; they are as misleading as wax beans.

From New York Times