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 female anchor smiles like she’s discussing a fabulous green bean recipe, not my imploding life.

From Literature

A tiny dot appears inside the letter b of the green bean recipe.

From Literature

I put frozen green beans on a plate and tell Boo they are a new kind of Popsicle.

From Literature

To attract increasingly discerning consumers, Kroger has offered a precooked holiday meal for eight of turkey or ham, stuffing, green bean casserole, sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, cranberry and gravy for about $11 a person.

From Los Angeles Times

Rosario, the foreman’s wife, had woken up at 4:30 a.m., as she always does, to make the couple a lunch of homemade tortillas, green beans and refried beans.

From Los Angeles Times