cannellini bean

[ kan-l-ee-nee; Italian kah-nel-lee-nee ]

noun

1. a medium-sized, white, oval bean with a thin skin and mild flavor.

cannellini bean

/ ˌkænɪˈlɪːnɪ /

noun

1. a cream-coloured, kidney-shaped bean with a mild flavour

Word History and Origins

Origin of cannellini bean¹

First recorded in 1965-70; from Italian cannellini, plural of cannellino, a kind of hard candy, variety of white bean resembling the candy, probably from cannella “cinnamon,” used to flavor the candy, or from Italian cannellini, plural of cannellino , diminutive of cannello “little tube,” diminutive of canna “reed, stalk,” from Latin canna “reed”; cane ( def )

Word History and Origins

Origin of cannellini bean¹

Italian: small tubes