bean

Pluralbeans

Formsbeans, beaning, beaned

1. 1
   edible seednouncountable

   A large seed that grows in a pod and is cooked and eaten, such as a kidney bean or chickpea.

   Like a little dried seed that puffs up when you cook it, much like a pea.

   Each bean swells to twice its size after soaking overnight.

   We rinsed the beans and added them to the chili.

2. 2
   nouncountable

   A bean-shaped seed from another kind of plant, such as coffee, or the long seedpod of the vanilla plant.

   Coffee beans are roasted until they turn dark and fragrant.

   She slit open a vanilla bean and scraped out the tiny seeds.

   Similarpod

3. 3
   pod eaten wholenouncountable

   The long, soft pod of a bean plant that you can cook and eat whole.

   We picked fresh beans from the vine and steamed them for dinner.

   Each bean snapped crisply, a sign it was freshly picked.

   Note
4. 4
   plantnouncountable

   A leafy, often climbing plant that grows pods filled with seeds people can eat.

   Bean plants climbed the tall poles all summer long.

   The beans we planted shot up faster than the corn.

   Note
5. 5
   foam fillernouncountable

   A small plastic or foam piece shaped like a bean, used to fill beanbags or pack boxes.

   A tiny foam bean from the torn beanbag stuck to my sock.

   We vacuumed up hundreds of little plastic beans after the beanbag chair ripped.

   Similarpellet, bead

6. 6
   person (fond)nounslangendearingcountable

   A loving, casual word for a person, especially a baby.

   Come here, you little bean, and let me see your smile.

   "Good night, bean," she whispered to her sleeping baby.

   UsageOften with little: you little bean.

   Similardarling, sweetie, cutie, sweetheart

   Note

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