n. [ OE. bene, AS. beán; akin to D. boon, G. bohne, OHG. pōna, Icel. baun, Dan. bönne, Sw. böna, and perh. to Russ. bob, L. faba. ] 1. (Bot.) A name given to the seed of certain leguminous herbs, chiefly of the genera Faba, Phaseolus, and Dolichos; also, to the herbs. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ 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. [ 1913 Webster ]

As an article of food beans are classed with vegetables. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The popular name of other vegetable seeds or fruits, more or less resembling true beans. [ 1913 Webster ]

Bean aphis (Zool.), a plant louse (Aphis fabæ) which infests the bean plant. --
Bean fly (Zool.), a fly found on bean flowers. --
Bean goose (Zool.), a species of goose (Anser segetum). --
Bean weevil (Zool.), a small weevil that in the larval state destroys beans. The American species is Bruchus fabæ. --
Florida bean (Bot.), 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 (Bot.), 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. --
Sea bean. (a) Same as Florida bean. (b) A red bean of unknown species used for ornament. --
Tonquin bean, or
Tonka bean, the fragrant seed of Dipteryx odorata, a leguminous tree. --
Vanilla bean. See under Vanilla. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. a small cloth bag filled with dried beans; it is thrown from person to person in games. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. a baseball deliberately thrown at the batter's head.
Syn. -- beaner. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

. (Bot.) A deciduous plant of warm climates, generally with fleshy leaves and flowers of a yellow or whitish yellow color, of the genus Zygophyllum. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. a baseball deliberately thrown at the batter's head.
Syn. -- beanball. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. (British) an annual dinner party given by an employer for the employees. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. a small skullcap; formerly worn by schoolboys and college freshmen.
Syn. -- beany. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. 1. a game in which numbered balls are drawn and random and players cover the correponding numbers on their cards.
Syn. -- lotto, bingo, keno. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. 1. stem of a bean plant. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

. (Bot.) A leguminous shrub of southern Europe, with trifoliate leaves (Anagyris foetida). [ 1913 Webster ]