bean

[ been ]

/ bin /

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noun

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.

verb (used with object)

Slang. to hit on the head, especially with a baseball.

interjection

beans, (used to express disbelief, annoyance, etc.).

QUIZ

THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

Question 1 of 7

In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

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

before 950; Middle English bene,Old English bēan; cognate with Old Norse baun,Old Frisian bāne,Dutch boon,Old Saxon, Old High German bona (German Bohne), probably <Germanic *babnō, cognate with Russian bob,Latin faba<European Indo-European *bhabh-

OTHER WORDS FROM bean

beanlike, adjective

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH bean

bean , been, Ben, bin

Words nearby bean

beam splitter, beam trawl, beam weapon, beam wind, beamy, bean, bean aphid, beanbag, beanbag gun, beanball, bean beetle

Other definitions for bean (2 of 2)

Bean

[ been ]

/ bin /

noun

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. 2023

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|Time
It’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 Post
He 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 Review
Winter’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|Eater

The beans should be creamy and crush easily between two fingers.
7 Wellness Strategies to Build Resilience|Brad Stulberg|January 22, 2021|Outside Online
A French green bean salad with warm goat cheese reminds Ina Garten of having lunch in Paris.
The Barefoot Contessa’s Tasty Trip to Paris|Ina Garten|November 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
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|DAILY BEAST
This 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|DAILY BEAST
Bean 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|DAILY BEAST
Spending 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|DAILY BEAST
Once 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.
The Jesuit Relations and Allied Documents, Vol. II: Acadia, 1612-1614|Various
Called "Brazilian bean," because it resembled a bean then known in France by that name.
The Jesuit Relations and Allied Documents, Vol. II: Acadia, 1612-1614|Various
They are coffee-bean-shaped cocci which lie in pairs with their flat surfaces together (Fig. 116).
A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis|James Campbell Todd
At 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

bean

/ (biːn) /

noun

any of various leguminous plants of the widely cultivated genus Phaseolus producing edible seeds in podsSee 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 moneyI 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

verb

mainly US and Canadian slang (tr) to hit (a person) on the head

Word Origin for bean

Old English bēan; related to Old Norse baun, Old Frisian bāne, Old High German bōna bean

Collins 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

bean

see full of beans; not have a bean; not know beans; not worth a dime (bean); spill the beans; tough break (beans).

bean

Idioms about bean

Origin of bean

OTHER WORDS FROM bean

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH bean

Words nearby bean

Other definitions for bean (2 of 2)

Words related to bean

How to use bean in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for bean

Word Origin for bean

Other Idioms and Phrases with bean