shell bean

American

noun

any of various kinds of bean of which the unripe seeds are removed from the pods before cooking.
the seed itself.

shell bean British

noun

any of various bean plants that are cultivated for their edible seeds rather than for their pods

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of shell bean

An Americanism dating back to 1865–70

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.

There are two kinds of green beans in the market, the string or snap bean and the shell bean.

From Miss Parloa's New Cook Book by Parloa, Maria

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023