# bean

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈbi(ː)n/ · frequency rank #7,313

## Definitions
1. Any plant of several genera of the taxonomic family Fabaceae that produces large edible seeds or edible seedpods.
2. The large edible seed of such a plant (for example, a broad bean, navy bean, or garbanzo bean).
3. The edible seedpod of such a plant.
4. The bean-like seed of certain other plants, such as a vanilla bean or (especially) a coffee bean.
5. An object resembling a pea or bean in shape, often made from plastic or styrofoam and used in large numbers as packing material or as stuffing for beanbags and similar items.
6. The head or brain.
7. The human clitoris.
8. A person; especially, a baby.
9. A guinea coin or sovereign.
10. Money.
11. Clipping of JavaBean.
12. Any form of tablet, especially benzedrine (benny).
13. A toe bean.

## Etymology
From Middle English bene, from Old English bēan, from Proto-West Germanic *baunu, from Proto-Germanic *baunō (“bean”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰabʰ- (“bean”). Cognate with Scots bene, bein (“bean”), North Frisian buan (“bean”), Saterland Frisian Boone (“bean”), West Frisian bean, beanne (“bean”), Dutch boon (“bean”), German Bohne (“bean”), Luxembourgish Boun (“bean”), Danish bønne (“bean”), Faroese bøn, bøna (“bean”), Icelandic baun (“bean”), Norwegian Bokmål bønne (“bean”), Norwegian Nynorsk bauna, baune, bogna, bønne, Swedish böna (“bean”), Irish pónaire (“bean”), Manx poanrey (“bean”), Scottish Gaelic pònair (“bean”), Latin faba (“bean”), Russian боб (bob, “bean”), Serbo-Croatian бо̏б/bȍb. Doublet of fava.

## Easily confused with
- **bn** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bean-vs-bn)
- **bed** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bean-vs-bed)
- **bet** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bean-vs-bet)
- **ben** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bean-vs-ben)
- **bin** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bean-vs-bin)
- **bee** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bean-vs-bee)
- **beg** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bean-vs-beg)
- **bra** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bean-vs-bra)
- **BON** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bean-vs-bon)
- **bun** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bean-vs-bun)
- **bel** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bean-vs-bel)
- **bey** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bean-vs-bey)
- **boa** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bean-vs-boa)
- **bla** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bean-vs-bla)
- **BSA** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bean-vs-bsa)
- **bev** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bean-vs-bev)
- **BPA** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bean-vs-bpa)
- **bes** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bean-vs-bes)
- **BFA** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bean-vs-bfa)
- **ber** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bean-vs-ber)

## Common misspellings (5)
`baen`, `bbean`, `beann`, `bena`, `eban`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/bean