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.
-
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.
-
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
-
full of beans,
-
energetic; vigorously active; vital.
He is still full of beans at 95.
-
stupid; erroneous; misinformed.
-
-
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
-
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
-
the seed or pod of any of these plants
-
any of various beanlike seeds, such as coffee
-
slang another word for head
-
slang excellent; impressive
-
slang to be without money
I haven't got a bean
-
informal
-
full of energy and vitality
-
mistaken; erroneous
-
-
informal to disclose something confidential
verb
bean
More Idioms
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
beansimple
-
beanssimple
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have beanedperfect
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has beanedperfect
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am beaningprogressive
-
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:
Soy conquered America not because Americans craved the bean, but because it was remarkably versatile.
From Salon ● Sep. 13, 2026
So it makes pain au chocolat and delicate tarts, but also strawberry mochi donuts or red bean bread.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 4, 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
Ma had shown me how to marinate it with soya, garlic, and fermented black bean.
From "The Red Car to Hollywood" by Jennie Liu
Europe's largest aquarium, Oceanogràfic València in Spain, recorded the death of one beluga, Jelly Bean, and one dolphin, Echo.
From BBC ● Oct. 17, 2026
Bean says math majors are strong candidates for a couple of reasons.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 10, 2026
“What we’re doing is a love letter to Los Angeles, and also to West Coast rap,” Bean said in a recent interview.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 1, 2026
“There’s not many places we can’t go,” Bean said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 1, 2026
Bean shaped and smaller than a speck of sand, the fruit fly embryo begins its life in a whir of activity.
From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee
While subsidized rice and beans were still widely available, ground beef was replaced with soy protein.
From Barron's ● Oct. 9, 2026
Spring barley and beans were more than 50% down, he adds, particularly badly hit by the drought.
From BBC ● Oct. 7, 2026
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
Jessie told Lamar that she’d like to eat some butter beans and cornbread later on.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 23, 2026
Frank showed him the kitchen, the boot room, the larder stocked with herbs and jars of preserves and beans and a startling number of tins of anchovies.
From "Impossible Creatures" by Katherine Rundell
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
Remember when you beaned old Jack the rooster?
From "Hattie Big Sky" by Kirby Larson
Cabrera sent a note of apology to Harper on Thursday saying the beaning was unintentional.
From Seattle Times ● Apr. 30, 2021
And somewhere Greenberg never thought he would be during all those years that he tried to battle back from the beaning he suffered in his first major league at-bat.
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
We can probably expect one of these big troll vetoes just to settle the score, like a pitcher beaning a hitter.
From Slate ● Nov. 15, 2016
“Breakfast!” he hollered as he coasted by, beaning her on the forehead with a plastic-wrapped muffin.
From "Book Scavenger" by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman
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