bean

1 of 2

noun

1
a
b
: the seed of any of various erect or climbing plants (as of the genera Phaseolus and Vigna) of the legume family other than the fava bean
c
: a plant bearing beans
d
: an immature bean pod used as a vegetable
2
a
: a valueless item
b
beans plural : the least amount
didn't know beans about it
3
: any of various seeds or fruits that resemble beans or bean pods
coffee beans
also : a plant producing these
4
a
beans plural : exuberance
used in the phrase full of beans
b
beans plural : nonsense, bunkum
used in the phrase full of beans
5
: head, brain
6
: a protuberance on the upper mandible of waterfowl see duck illustration

bean

2 of 2

verb

beaned; beaning; beans

transitive verb

: to strike (a person) on the head with an object

Examples of bean in a Sentence

Noun We ate rice and beans for dinner. We're growing tomatoes and beans in our garden this year.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
By working with local farmers to grow crops like high-iron beans and sorghum— both resilient to climate change— the program is helping to create a sustainable supply chain that benefits both students and smallholder farmers. Daphne Ewing-Chow, Forbes, 23 Oct. 2024 The menu features starters such as a chicken Tex-Mex egg roll, lobster rangoon, chips and queso, cheese quesadilla, crispy chicken bites, a black bean and green chile egg roll, and beans and rice. Amanda Hancock, The Courier-Journal, 18 Oct. 2024
Verb
Many get beaned by water balloon-wielding children. Luann Gibbs, The Enquirer, 24 July 2024 Pete Alonso hit a one-out double and Muñoz (1-5) loaded the bases by beaning Mark Vientos and walking DJ Stewart. Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 20 July 2024 See all Example Sentences for bean 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'bean.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English bene, from Old English bēan; akin to Old High German bōna bean

Verb

verbal derivative of bean entry 1 in sense "head"

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1909, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of bean was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near bean

Cite this Entry

“Bean.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bean. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

bean

noun
ˈbēn
1
b
: the seed or pod of various erect or climbing plants of the legume family
c
: a plant bearing beans
2
: a seed or fruit like a bean
coffee beans

More from Merriam-Webster on bean

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