bean
noun
the edible nutritious seed of various plants of the legume family, especially of the genus Phaseolus.
bean
1 American
[been]
/ bin /
noun
-
beans
plural
-
the edible nutritious seed of various plants of the legume family, especially of the genus Phaseolus.
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a plant producing such seeds.
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the pod of such a plant, especially when immature and eaten as a vegetable.
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any of various other beanlike seeds or plants, as the coffee bean.
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Slang.
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a person's head.
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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.
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Informal. beans, the slightest amount.
He doesn't know beans about navigation.
verb (used with object)
-
beans,
present (3rd person singular)
-
beaned,
past participle, past
-
beaning
present participle
interjection
idioms
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full of beans,
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energetic; vigorously active; vital.
He is still full of beans at 95.
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stupid; erroneous; misinformed.
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spill the beans, 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.
Bean
2
American
[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.”
bean
British
/ biːn /
noun
-
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
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any of several other leguminous plants that bear edible pods or seeds, such as the broad bean and soya bean
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any of various other plants whose seeds are produced in pods or podlike fruits
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the seed or pod of any of these plants
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any of various beanlike seeds, such as coffee
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slang another word for head
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slang excellent; impressive
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slang to be without money
I haven't got a bean
-
informal
-
full of energy and vitality
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mistaken; erroneous
-
-
informal to disclose something confidential
verb
bean
More Idioms
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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beansimple
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beanssimple
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have beanedperfect
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has beanedperfect
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am beaningprogressive
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are beaningprogressive
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is beaningprogressive
-
have been beaningperfect progressive
-
has been beaningperfect progressive
Past
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beanedsimple
-
had beanedperfect
-
was beaningprogressive
-
were beaningprogressive
-
had been beaningperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
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-
Explanation
A bean is a seed you can eat. You might love garbanzo beans but detest large, green lima beans. When you order rice and beans at a Mexican restaurant, you get a plate full of deliciously spiced, slightly mashed pinto or black beans. You might plant beans in your garden, vine-like climbing plants that grow pods with beans inside. Coffee and chocolate are both foods that start out as beans. If someone beans you during a softball game, it means they hit you with the ball, usually in the head — also colloquially called a bean.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
In 1933, Fortune magazine marveled that Ford was “as much interested in the soya bean as he is in the V-8” engine.
From Salon ● Sep. 13, 2026
Tests showed that extracts from the bean gum lowered HPV levels by 93% in saliva samples.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 4, 2026
Taco Bell’s Luxe Value Menu offers 10 items for $3 or less, including a spicy potato soft taco for $1.69 and a cheesy bean and rice burrito for $1.89.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 31, 2026
It’s another bean to consider in those actuarial tables.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 11, 2026
I stroll through aisles of bean soup, almond butter, and other foods I don’t like until we get to the produce section.
From "Invisible Inkling" by Emily Jenkins
Bean impressively captures Wanda’s determined grind, but it’s Asante Blackk’s delicate combination of anxiety and ambition as her cousin Lamar, a musical prodigy, that locked me in to the first episode.
From Salon ● Sep. 4, 2026
Throughout, Bean and friends emphasize the joy that can be had from slowing down, looking up and paying attention.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 26, 2026
Sean Bean brings a lifelong passion for birds—and his endearing Yorkshire accent—to a meditative, freewheeling celebration of the natural world.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 26, 2026
Bean representative rather than deal with yet another AI assistant on a the website from a company whose parent company is plagued by data leaks.
From Salon ● Jul. 18, 2026
His wardrobe consists primarily of T-shirts from indie coffee shops around the city, and he gave me this Dream & Bean shirt last night when he came over for dinner.
From "What If It's Us" by Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera
Amino acids are the building blocks used to make proteins, and leucine is especially abundant in protein rich foods such as dairy products, meat, beans, and lentils.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 3, 2026
They roast their own coffee beans and have an amazing pastry selection.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 2, 2026
Add some canned beans if you’ve got them.
From Salon ● Sep. 28, 2026
You would also be relying on the restaurant management not to spill the beans — apologies once again for the pun — to regular customers and employees.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 11, 2026
He talked about his dear Mary, and Rose-Ivy talked about her departed family, and sometimes Tom brought her some beans or corn from his garden or a bunch of wildflowers.
From "The Seven Wonders of Sassafras Springs" by Betty G. Birney
Yamamoto then promptly beaned the first batter he faced, loading the bases.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 2, 2025
“When it happened, you don’t really know how bad it is,” said Angels outfielder Mickey Moniak, who was on first base when Ward was beaned.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 13, 2024
David Fletcher, who entered in the third after Phil Gosselin was beaned, lined a two-run double to the left-field wall with one out to bring Los Angeles within 7-6.
From Washington Times ● Jul. 31, 2022
Fletcher, who entered in the third after Phil Gosselin was beaned, lined a two-run double to the left-field wall with one out to bring Los Angeles within 7-6.
From Seattle Times ● Jul. 30, 2022
Remember when you beaned old Jack the rooster?
From "Hattie Big Sky" by Kirby Larson
WACO, Texas — A Little League batter rose from a beaning to console the upset pitcher in a dramatic scene at a Little League regional tournament game Tuesday in Waco, Texas.
From Washington Times ● Aug. 9, 2022
Cabrera sent a note of apology to Harper on Thursday saying the beaning was unintentional.
From Seattle Times ● Apr. 30, 2021
His major league career was over, but it now included more than just a beaning.
From New York Times ● Jul. 28, 2018
There were so many people crowded around the first green that he feared beaning someone.
From Golf Digest ● Apr. 2, 2017
“Breakfast!” he hollered as he coasted by, beaning her on the forehead with a plastic-wrapped muffin.
From "Book Scavenger" by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
