string bean

American  

noun

1. any of various kinds of bean, as the green bean, the unripe pods of which are used as food, usually after stripping off the fibrous thread along the side.

2. the pod itself.

3. Informal. a tall, thin person.

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string bean British  

noun

1. any of several bean plants, such as the scarlet runner, cultivated for their edible unripe pods See also green bean wax bean

2. informal a tall thin person

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Etymology

Origin of string bean

An Americanism dating back to 1750–60

Example Sentences

The fruit that ultimately emerges is a pod that looks like a long, thick string bean and contains black seeds.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 5, 2024

But Vanover hasn’t played in months, so the odds of a string bean battle seem slim.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 22, 2022

After hearing this, Ginger said, "Well, I like how she looks. Can you stand a minute, string bean?"

From Fox News • Jan. 7, 2022

It also features a very strong supporting cast whose standouts include the director Marielle Heller as Beth’s loving, enabling adopted mother, and a shockingly charming human string bean.

From Slate • Dec. 7, 2020

He plucked what looked like a four-foot version of a string bean from a branch, split it lengthwise, and showed me flattened, shiny seeds arrayed along its length like teeth in a jaw.

From "1491" by Charles C. Mann