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
-
is beaningprogressive
-
have been beaningperfect progressive
-
has been beaningperfect progressive
Past
-
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:
He had previously paid roughly $26,100 for a Four Seasons Yacht trip that he panned in a May review for sewage-smelling water in his cabin and inattentiveness to his bean allergy.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026
The researchers then engineered the bean gum to contain protegrin, an antimicrobial peptide capable of killing harmful bacteria.
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
The female anchor smiles like she’s discussing a fabulous green bean recipe, not my imploding life.
From "South of Somewhere" by Kalena Miller
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
It is definitely commendable that the Dodgers “museum” commemorates Glenn Burke and Billy Bean.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 13, 2026
Among the millions of observations shared on the platform, the photos eventually caught the attention of botanist Anthony Bean from the Queensland Herbarium.
From Science Daily ● May 18, 2026
“He has to sing to her. A whole song. In the middle of the Bean Bar. In his underwear.”
From "Goodbye Stranger" by Rebecca Stead
Keep foods like dried and canned beans, canned tomatoes, tinned fish, olive oil, and a variety of whole grains on hand so you always have something to cook with.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 16, 2026
These days in Pozos de Gamboa, a Zacatecas town of 5,000 that is known for growing beans, people are terrified.
From Barron's ● Aug. 9, 2026
He picks runner beans each morning, and is getting "about a third of the normal crop".
From BBC ● Aug. 6, 2026
The side dish is a salad of apples, white beans and greens with a simple vinaigrette.
From Salon ● Aug. 5, 2026
I looked down at the plate of ham, boiled beans and fluffy biscuits.
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
Gosselin was beaned on a sinker from Otto, and Andrew Velazquez had a bunt single before Ohtani drove Otto’s 88 mph changeup into the elevated bleachers in center field.
From Washington Times ● Jul. 31, 2022
“Ted Sarandos and Reed Hastings are A-Rod and Barry Bonds,” Mr. Galloway said, adding that while they may have been beaned in the face, “You don’t want to bet against these guys.”
From New York Times ● May 28, 2022
He envisions a covered walkway so people can visit the monarchs without getting beaned by golf balls.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 2, 2022
I look behind me, half expecting to see a sniggering back-row guy who beaned me with an eraser.
From "Speak" by Laurie Halse Anderson
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
He played every game in the second half, coming back from a beaning by the Cardinals’ Genesis Cabrera in St. Louis on April 28.
From New York Times ● Nov. 18, 2021
Cabrera sent a note of apology to Harper on Thursday saying the beaning was unintentional.
From Seattle Times ● Apr. 30, 2021
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.
