noun / verb
bean
BEEN/biːn/
An edible seed or pod of a leguminous plant.
The split pod reveals plump beans nestled inside.
Etymology
Old English bean already named beans, peas, and legumes, so the edible-seed meaning continues an established use. The word’s deeper origin remains obscure.
In context
soaking bean seeds between layers of wet paper towels to make them sprout.
More examples
- Fresh green beans hang from the climbing plants.
- The stray baseball beaned him on the head.
- He jokingly tells his friend to use his bean.
Forms
bean · beans · beaned · beaning
Similar words
- legume
- The broader botanical group, including peas and lentils.
- seed
- Broader; does not identify a bean plant or edible use.