bean
♦ bean /b'iːn/ (beans)
1 [N-COUNT] usu pl, usu adj N
Beans such as green beans, French beans, or broad beans are the seeds of a climbing plant or the long thin cases which contain those seeds.
2 [N-COUNT] usu pl, usu n N
Beans such as soya beans and kidney beans are the dried seeds of a bean plant.
3 [N-COUNT] usu pl, usu n N
Beans such as coffee beans or cocoa beans are the seeds of plants that are used to produce coffee, cocoa, and chocolate.
4 [PHRASE] v-link PHR
If someone is full of beans, they are very lively and have a lot of energy and enthusiasm.
Jem was full of beans after a long sleep.
5 [PHRASE] V inflects
If you spill the beans, you tell someone something that people have been trying to keep secret.bean bag (bean bags)
also beanbag
[N-COUNT]
A bean bag is a large round cushion filled with tiny pieces of plastic or rubber. It takes the shape of your body when you sit on it.bean coun|ter (bean counters)
also bean-counter
[N-COUNT]
You can describe people such as accountants and business managers as bean counters if you disapprove of them because you think they are only interested in money.
...bean counters who tend to focus on controlling expenses.bean curd
[N-UNCOUNT]
Bean curd is a soft white or brown food made from soya beans.
= tofubean sprout (bean sprouts)
also beansprout
[N-COUNT]
Bean sprouts are small, long, thin shoots grown from beans. They are frequently used in Chinese cookery.broad bean (broad beans)
[N-COUNT] usu pl
Broad beans are flat round beans that are light green in colour and are eaten as a vegetable. (mainly BRIT; in AM, use fava beans)but|ter bean (butter beans)
[N-COUNT] usu pl
Butter beans are the yellowish flat round seeds of a kind of bean plant. They are eaten as a vegetable, and in Britain they are usually sold dried rather than fresh.cof|fee bean (coffee beans)
[N-COUNT] usu pl
Coffee beans are small dark brown beans that are roasted and ground to make coffee. They are the seeds of the coffee plant.fava bean /f'ɑvə biːn/ (fava beans)
[N-COUNT] usu pl
Fava beans are flat round beans that are light green in colour and are eaten as a vegetable. (AM; in BRIT, use broad beans)French bean (French beans)
[N-COUNT] usu pl
French beans are narrow green beans that are eaten as a vegetable. They grow on a tall climbing plant and are the cases that contain the seeds of the plant. (BRIT; in AM, use string beans)green bean (green beans)
[N-COUNT] usu pl
Green beans are long narrow beans that are eaten as a vegetable.hari|cot bean /h'ærɪkoʊ biːn/ (haricot beans)
[N-COUNT] usu pl
Haricot beans are small white beans that are eaten as a vegetable. They are often sold dried rather than fresh. (BRIT)jel|ly bean (jelly beans)
also jellybean
[N-COUNT] usu pl
Jelly beans are small coloured sweets that are hard on the outside and soft inside.kid|ney bean (kidney beans)
1 [N-COUNT] usu pl
Kidney beans are small, reddish-brown beans that are eaten as a vegetable. They are the seeds of a bean plant.
2 [N-COUNT] usu pl
Kidney beans are long, very narrow beans that are green in colour and are eaten as a vegetable. They grow on a tall climbing plant and are the cases that contain the seeds of the plant. (AM; in BRIT, use French beans)lima bean /l'iːmə biːn/ (lima beans)
[N-COUNT] usu pl
Lima beans are flat round beans that are light green in colour and are eaten as a vegetable. They are the seeds of a plant that grows in tropical parts of America.run|ner bean (runner beans)
[N-COUNT] usu pl
Runner beans are long green beans that are eaten as a vegetable. They grow on a tall climbing plant and are the cases that contain the seeds of the plant. (BRIT; in AM, use pole beans, scarlet runners)
= French beansoya bean (soya beans)
[N-COUNT]
Soya beans are beans that can be eaten or used to make flour, oil, or soy sauce. (BRIT; in AM, use soybeans)string bean (string beans)
1 [N-COUNT] usu pl
String beans are long, very narrow green vegetables consisting of the cases that contain the seeds of a climbing plant. (AM; in BRIT, use French beans)
2 [N-COUNT] usu pl
String beans are vegetables similar to French beans, but thicker. (BRIT)
1 [N-COUNT] usu pl, usu adj N
Beans such as green beans, French beans, or broad beans are the seeds of a climbing plant or the long thin cases which contain those seeds.
2 [N-COUNT] usu pl, usu n N
Beans such as soya beans and kidney beans are the dried seeds of a bean plant.
3 [N-COUNT] usu pl, usu n N
Beans such as coffee beans or cocoa beans are the seeds of plants that are used to produce coffee, cocoa, and chocolate.
4 [PHRASE] v-link PHR
If someone is full of beans, they are very lively and have a lot of energy and enthusiasm.
Jem was full of beans after a long sleep.
5 [PHRASE] V inflects
If you spill the beans, you tell someone something that people have been trying to keep secret.bean bag (bean bags)
also beanbag
[N-COUNT]
A bean bag is a large round cushion filled with tiny pieces of plastic or rubber. It takes the shape of your body when you sit on it.bean coun|ter (bean counters)
also bean-counter
[N-COUNT]
You can describe people such as accountants and business managers as bean counters if you disapprove of them because you think they are only interested in money.
...bean counters who tend to focus on controlling expenses.bean curd
[N-UNCOUNT]
Bean curd is a soft white or brown food made from soya beans.
= tofubean sprout (bean sprouts)
also beansprout
[N-COUNT]
Bean sprouts are small, long, thin shoots grown from beans. They are frequently used in Chinese cookery.broad bean (broad beans)
[N-COUNT] usu pl
Broad beans are flat round beans that are light green in colour and are eaten as a vegetable. (mainly BRIT; in AM, use fava beans)but|ter bean (butter beans)
[N-COUNT] usu pl
Butter beans are the yellowish flat round seeds of a kind of bean plant. They are eaten as a vegetable, and in Britain they are usually sold dried rather than fresh.cof|fee bean (coffee beans)
[N-COUNT] usu pl
Coffee beans are small dark brown beans that are roasted and ground to make coffee. They are the seeds of the coffee plant.fava bean /f'ɑvə biːn/ (fava beans)
[N-COUNT] usu pl
Fava beans are flat round beans that are light green in colour and are eaten as a vegetable. (AM; in BRIT, use broad beans)French bean (French beans)
[N-COUNT] usu pl
French beans are narrow green beans that are eaten as a vegetable. They grow on a tall climbing plant and are the cases that contain the seeds of the plant. (BRIT; in AM, use string beans)green bean (green beans)
[N-COUNT] usu pl
Green beans are long narrow beans that are eaten as a vegetable.hari|cot bean /h'ærɪkoʊ biːn/ (haricot beans)
[N-COUNT] usu pl
Haricot beans are small white beans that are eaten as a vegetable. They are often sold dried rather than fresh. (BRIT)jel|ly bean (jelly beans)
also jellybean
[N-COUNT] usu pl
Jelly beans are small coloured sweets that are hard on the outside and soft inside.kid|ney bean (kidney beans)
1 [N-COUNT] usu pl
Kidney beans are small, reddish-brown beans that are eaten as a vegetable. They are the seeds of a bean plant.
2 [N-COUNT] usu pl
Kidney beans are long, very narrow beans that are green in colour and are eaten as a vegetable. They grow on a tall climbing plant and are the cases that contain the seeds of the plant. (AM; in BRIT, use French beans)lima bean /l'iːmə biːn/ (lima beans)
[N-COUNT] usu pl
Lima beans are flat round beans that are light green in colour and are eaten as a vegetable. They are the seeds of a plant that grows in tropical parts of America.run|ner bean (runner beans)
[N-COUNT] usu pl
Runner beans are long green beans that are eaten as a vegetable. They grow on a tall climbing plant and are the cases that contain the seeds of the plant. (BRIT; in AM, use pole beans, scarlet runners)
= French beansoya bean (soya beans)
[N-COUNT]
Soya beans are beans that can be eaten or used to make flour, oil, or soy sauce. (BRIT; in AM, use soybeans)string bean (string beans)
1 [N-COUNT] usu pl
String beans are long, very narrow green vegetables consisting of the cases that contain the seeds of a climbing plant. (AM; in BRIT, use French beans)
2 [N-COUNT] usu pl
String beans are vegetables similar to French beans, but thicker. (BRIT)