bean

¹bean

noun \ˈbēn\

Definition of BEAN

1

a : broad bean

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 broad bean

c : a plant bearing beans

d : an immature bean pod used as a vegetable

2

a : a valueless item

b 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 plural : exuberance —used in the phrase full of beans

b 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

Examples of BEAN

1. We ate rice and beans for dinner.
2. We're growing tomatoes and beans in our garden this year.

Origin of BEAN

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

First Known Use: before 12th century

Related to BEAN

Synonyms

head, block [slang], dome, mazard (or mazzard) [chiefly dialect], nob, noddle, noggin, noodle, nut [slang], pate, poll

Antonyms

lethargy, listlessness, sluggishness, torpidity

Related Words

cranium, crown, scalp, skull; occiput

Near Antonyms

indolence, laziness; debilitation, debility, delicacy, disablement, enfeeblement, faintness, feebleness, frailness, frailty, impotence, impotency, infirmity, powerlessness, puniness, slightness, softness, tenderness, weakness; enervation, exhaustion, inanition, prostration

Rhymes with BEAN

clean, dean, Dean, Deane, dene, e'en, gene, glean, green, jean, keen, lean, lien, mean, mesne, mien, peen, preen, quean, queen, scene, screen, sheen, shin, sin, spean, spleen, teen, tween, wean, ween, wheen, yean

²bean

transitive verb

Definition of BEAN

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

First Known Use of BEAN

1910

bean

noun    (Concise Encyclopedia)

Seed or pod of certain leguminous plants (see legume). The mature seeds of the principal food beans, except soybeans, are similar in composition, though they differ widely in eating quality. Rich in protein and providing moderate amounts of iron and vitamins B and B, fresh or dried beans are used worldwide for cooking. Varieties differ greatly in size, shape, colour, and tenderness of the immature pods. The common string, snap, or green bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) of Central and South American origin is the dominant edible-podded bean in the U.S., second to the soybean in importance. Third in importance is the broad, or fava, bean (Vicia faba), the principal bean of Europe. The lima bean (P. limensis), of Central American origin, is commercially important in few countries outside the Americas. The scarlet runner bean (P. coccineus) is native to the New World tropics and is grown in Europe for its attractive flowers and fleshy immature pods. The mung bean, or green gram (P. aureus), is native to India and grown extensively in the Orient for food.