bean

noun \ ˈbēn \

Updated on: 12 Apr 2018

Definition of bean

1 a : fava 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 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

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Examples of bean in a Sentence

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

Recent Examples of bean from the Web

Tomoca Coffee, where beans are ground in vintage machines; the chaotic Merkato, Africa’s largest outdoor market; Yilma, a siga bet, or raw meat house; and the new Addis Fine Art gallery in Bole.

— katherine lagrave, Condé Nast Traveler, "The Only Non-Stop Flight from Chicago to Africa Will Begin in June," 6 Apr. 2018
Aside from a few bready soups (ribollita, pappa al pomodoro), thick steaks, boiled beans and a stew made by simmering beef shank with ungodly amounts of black pepper, few dishes immediately popped into mind.

— jonathan gold, latimes.com, "Much of Italy disdains Tuscany's cooking, but Jonathan Gold revels in it," 30 Mar. 2018
Yet the small plot where the sprightly 86-year-old grows corn, beans and cabbages in South Korea’s Tongilchon village lies snug against the DMZ and is just a few miles from the likely location of Kim and Trump’s summit.

— Time, "What Kim Jong Un Really Wants From President Trump," 29 Mar. 2018
Raw shrimp stored over cooked salsas, beans and rice.

— lorraine longhi, azcentral, "Restaurant inspections: 7 Phoenix-area eateries on this week's list," 21 Mar. 2018
And the salsa, traditionally made from tomatoes, onions, jalapeños, chiles, beans and spices, is typically fat-free and low-cal.

— richard a. marini, San Antonio Express-News, "How to eat out puro San Antonio style with diabetes," 19 Mar. 2018
Combine the wet mixture with the beans and vegetables; mix thoroughly.

— nancy miller, The Courier-Journal, "These handcrafted black bean burgers from Hilltop Tavern put others to shame," 20 Feb. 2018
The taciturn locals still flock to Meridy's cafe, where the buffet still groans under the weight of home-fried chicken, ham and beans, and corn bread.

— david von drehle | opinion, Anchorage Daily News, "Our leaders could learn from Bob Dole: Country before party," 4 Feb. 2018
Creamy ingredients include yogurt, crème fraîche, fresh cheeses, soft-cooked eggs, and bean and vegetable purées.

— michelle mckenzie and margo true, Sunset, "9 Spectacular Spring Salads," 22 Jan. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'bean.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of bean

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: before 12th century

See Words from the same year

bean Synonyms

bean

verb

Definition of bean

transitive verb

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

See bean defined for English-language learners

Recent Examples of bean from the Web

Police were called to a Taco Bell in Spartanburg, South Carolina on Monday after an employee beaned his boss with a flying burrito.

— melissa locker, Time, "Taco Bell Employee Throws Cheesy Burrito at Boss to Make a Point," 24 Jan. 2018
The cargo area is open to the cabin, so a luggage net may be in order to protect occupants from getting beaned by stray onions after a grocery trip.

— Car and Driver, "2017 Chevrolet Corvette," 27 Sep. 2017
The only punishment in the past for one team suspecting another of stealing signs has been an opposing hitter getting beaned with a pitch.

— chris chavez, SI.com, "What Does it Mean to Steal Signs in Baseball?," 6 Sep. 2017
Several big league players had their careers shortened after being beaned — Mickey Cochrane, Ducky Medwick, Tony Conigliaro and Dickie Thon, for instance — but only Ray Chapman died.

— arthur hart, idahostatesman, "Boise baseball great had a killer pitch – literally," 26 Aug. 2017
TONY C. The Red Sox unveiled a display in Fenway Park to honor former outfielder Tony Conigliaro, who was nearly killed when blinded when he was beaned by Jack Hamilton of the California Angels on Aug. 18, 1967.

— USA TODAY, "Moreland delivers to help Red Sox beat Yankees 9-6," 18 Aug. 2017
This is reasonable given the distances, and has the benefit of being harder to bean-count.

— carolyn hax, The Seattle Times, "Learning to find an attention balance between children," 31 July 2017
This is reasonable given the distances, and has the benefit of being harder to bean-count.

— carolyn hax, Detroit Free Press, "Planning visits and achieving quality time with both daughters," 31 July 2017
This is reasonable given the distances, and has the benefit of being harder to bean-count.

— carolyn hax, Philly.com, "Dividing time between differing daughters," 31 July 2017