bean

1 of 2

noun

ˈbēn 

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

bean

2 of 2

verb

beaned; beaning; beans

transitive verb

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

Synonyms

Noun

• block [slang]
• dome
• head
• mazard [chiefly dialect]
• mazzard
• nob
• noddle
• noggin
• noodle
• nut [slang]
• pate
• poll

Example Sentences

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

The bean bags will start flying at 1 p.m. Feb. 4 at Hopportunities, 440 NE Fifth Ave.. —Gary Curreri, Sun Sentinel, 20 Jan. 2023

Another station invites you to toss bean bags onto a scale. —Heather Lanier, Longreads, 10 Jan. 2023

School pick up, family dinners, bean bags at City Hall. —BostonGlobe.com, 17 Dec. 2022

There is also a large central gathering space with a massive television screen facing a sea of bean bags. —Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 19 Nov. 2022

Fans can catch the touchdown action on 10 televisions throughout the space, which is also equipped with darts, bean bags and pool. —Lauryn Azu, Chicago Tribune, 11 Nov. 2022

The players cuddle each other on bean bags, take trips to Six Flags and host dance parties in their apartments. —Dallas News, 4 Nov. 2022

There’s a broadcast studio, bean bags, bright lighting, a kitchen and a bedroom. —Peter Pomerantsev, Time, 4 Oct. 2022

From leafy suburbs sprouting up around Riyadh and Mecca to coworking spaces with bean bag chairs and foosball, Saudi Arabian culture is turning decidedly more American, not less, under the crown prince. —Taylor Luck, The Christian Science Monitor, 14 July 2022

Verb

Krazy, who suffered the endless brick-chucking torments of Ignatz Mouse, whose life’s pursuit was to bean her, day in, day out, was a bottomless well of forgiveness. —Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, 22 Sep. 2022

Everyone on the field agreed Matt Cain didn’t mean to bean David Wright on Aug, 15, 2009, when the star third baseman suffered a concussion after being hit on the helmet. —Jerry Beach, Forbes, 9 Apr. 2022

Eight days earlier in Pittsburgh, Cubs manager Joe Maddon took exception to Pirates pitcher Jordan Lyles nearly beaning Javier Baez. —Mark Gonzales, chicagotribune.com, 13 July 2019

Immediately following the show, there will bean after arty in the Kleist Center’s Black Box Theatre. —Rich Heileman, cleveland, 8 Nov. 2019

The Dodgers were fortunate the Nationals didn’t further reduce their 3-1 lead in that inning, which Buehler started by beaning Kurt Suzuki. —Los Angeles Times, 10 Oct. 2019

After Maddon’s ejection, David Bote was beaned by reliever Clay Holmes with the bases loaded during a five-run fifth, causing home-plate umpire Joe West to issue warnings to both dugouts. —Mark Gonzales, chicagotribune.com, 3 July 2019

Attacking the upper half of the strike zone against the Cubs has been a successful ploy by the Dodgers and Braves, but the high and tight pitches by Lyles and Clay Holmes — who beaned David Bote with the bases loaded — were too much for Maddon. —Mark Gonzales, chicagotribune.com, 5 July 2019

On June 21, 1967, Yankees pitcher Thad Tillotson beaned Sox third baseman Joe Foy, who had hit a grand slam the day before, in the second inning. —Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, 27 Aug. 2019

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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

Phrases Containing bean

• bean counter
• adzuki bean
• bean thread
• black bean
• black-eyed bean
• bean sprouts
• castor bean
• Calabar bean
• cocoa bean
• broad bean
• fava bean
• coffee bean
• French bean
• great northern bean
• green bean
• jack bean
• jelly bean
• jequirity bean
• lima bean
• jumping bean
• locust bean
• moth bean
• mung bean
• pinto bean
• pole bean
• red bean
• scarlet runner bean
• snap bean
• string bean
• tepary bean
• tonka bean
• turtle bean
• velvet bean
• white bean
• winged bean
• wax bean
• yard-long bean
• kidney bean
• butter bean
• bean curd
• pea bean
• azuki bean
• cannellini bean
• Mexican jumping bean
• garbanzo bean
• haricot bean
• sieva bean
• bean counting
• Mexican bean beetle
• cacao bean
• vanilla bean
• navy bean
• shell bean
• soya bean
• runner bean

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• bean counter
• adzuki bean
• bean thread
• black bean
• black-eyed bean
• bean sprouts
• castor bean
• Calabar bean
• cocoa bean
• broad bean
• fava bean
• coffee bean
• French bean
• great northern bean
• green bean
• jack bean
• jelly bean
• jequirity bean
• lima bean
• jumping bean
• locust bean
• moth bean
• mung bean
• pinto bean
• pole bean
• red bean
• scarlet runner bean
• snap bean
• string bean
• tepary bean
• tonka bean
• turtle bean
• velvet bean
• white bean
• winged bean
• wax bean
• yard-long bean
• kidney bean
• butter bean
• bean curd
• pea bean
• azuki bean
• cannellini bean
• Mexican jumping bean
• garbanzo bean
• haricot bean
• sieva bean
• bean counting
• Mexican bean beetle
• cacao bean
• vanilla bean
• navy bean
• shell bean
• soya bean
• runner bean

See More

Kids Definition

bean

noun

ˈbēn

1

a

: broad bean

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