green bean

American  

noun

1. the immature green pod of the kidney bean, eaten as a vegetable.

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green bean British  

noun

1. any bean plant, such as the French bean, having narrow green edible pods when unripe

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Etymology

Origin of green bean

An Americanism dating back to 1940–45

Example Sentences

The humble bag with peas, carrots, corn, and those tiny, anonymous green bean chunks.

From Salon • Feb. 18, 2026

The roughly $40 basket includes a Butterball frozen turkey, a five-pound bag of potatoes, boxed macaroni and cheese and stuffing mixes, fresh cranberries and the ingredients for a green bean casserole and pumpkin pie.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 22, 2025

I have this sweet potato, green bean and cashew curry in my book that’s like my go-to.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 23, 2024

It found that 31% of U.S. adults don’t care for cranberry sauce while 29% would skip the sweet potatoes and 28% would forgo the green bean casserole.

From Washington Times • Nov. 22, 2023

Amarante surveyed the damp earth, the glistening green bean plants, the faint yellow irrigation foam left around the stalks, the mud cracking softly in some freshly watered rows.

From "The Milagro Beanfield War" by John Nichols