Source : Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)
Bean \Bean\ (b[=e]n), n. [OE. bene, AS. be['a]n; akin to D.
boon, G. bohne, OHG. p[=o]na, Icel. baun, Dan. b["o]nne, Sw.
b["o]na, 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.
Note: 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, {D. Lablab}; the common
haricot beans, kidney beans, string beans, and pole
beans, all included in {Phaseolus vulgaris}; the lower
bush bean, {Ph. vulgaris}, variety {nanus}; Lima bean,
{Ph. lunatus}; Spanish bean and scarlet runner, {Ph.
maltiflorus}; Windsor bean, the common bean of England,
{Faba vulgaris}. As an article of food beans are
classed with vegetables.
2. The popular name of other vegetable seeds or fruits, more
or less resembling true beans.
{Bean aphis} (Zo["o]l.), a plant louse ({Aphis fab[ae]})
which infests the bean plant.
{Bean fly} (Zo["o]l.), a fly found on bean flowers.
{Bean goose} (Zo["o]l.), a species of goose ({Anser
segetum}).
{Bean weevil} (Zo["o]l.), a small weevil that in the larval
state destroys beans. The American species in {Bruchus
fab[ae]}.
{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}.
Source : WordNet®
bean
n 1: any of various edible seeds of plants of the family
Leguminosae [syn: {edible bean}]
2: any of various seeds or fruits suggestive of beans
3: any of various leguminous plants grown for their edible
seeds and pods [syn: {bean plant}]
4: informal terms for a human head [syn: {attic}, {bonce}, {noodle},
{noggin}, {dome}]
bean
v : hit on the head, esp. with a pitched baseball
Source : Free On-Line Dictionary of Computing
bean
{JavaBeans}