Bean
Bean (bēn) , noun
[Old English bene, Anglo-Saxon beán; akin to Dutch boon, German bohne, Old High German pōna, Icelandic baun, Danish bonne, Swedish bona, and perh. to Russ. bob, Latin faba.]
1.
(Botany) A name given to the seed of certain leguminous herbs, chiefly of the genera Faba, Phaseolus, and Dolichos; also, to the herbs.
The origin and classification of many kinds are still doubtful. Among true beans are: the black-eyed bean and China bean, included in Dolichos Sinensis; black Egyptian bean or hyacinth bean, Dolichos Lablab; the common haricot beans, kidney beans, string beans, and pole beans, all included in Phaseolus vulgaris; the lower bush bean, Phaseolus vulgaris, variety nanus; Lima bean, Phaseolus lunatus; Spanish bean and scarlet runner, Phaseolus multiflorus; Windsor bean, the common bean of England, Faba vulgaris.
2.
The popular name of other vegetable seeds or fruits, more or less resembling true beans.
Collocations (13)
Bean aphis (Zoology) , a plant louse (Aphis faba) which infests the bean plant.
Bean fly (Zoology) , a fly found on bean flowers.
Bean goose (Zoology) , a species of goose (Anser segetum).
Bean weevil (Zoology) , a small weevil that in the larval state destroys beans. The American species is Bruchus faba.
Florida bean (Botany) , the seed of Mucuna urens, a West Indian plant. The seeds are washed up on the Florida shore, and are often polished and made into ornaments.
Ignatius bean or St. Ignatius's bean (Botany) , a species of Strychnos.
Navy bean , the common dried white bean of commerce; probably so called because an important article of food in the navy.
Pea bean , a very small and highly esteemed variety of the edible white bean; -- so called from its size.
Sacred bean , See under Sacred.
Screw bean , See under Screw.
Tonquin bean or Tonka bean , the fragrant seed of Dipteryx odorata, a leguminous tree.
Vanilla bean , See under Vanilla.