# beans

/ˈbinz/ (US) · /bˈiːnz/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/beans
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. food

noun · CEFR A1

the seeds of some plants that you can eat, like green beans or coffee beans.

For teachers: the edible seeds of various leguminous plants, or the plants themselves.

- We had baked beans on toast for a quick and easy dinner.
- The chef recommended soaking the dried beans overnight to ensure they cooked evenly in the traditional stew.

### 2. a small amount

noun · CEFR B2 · Informal · American English

a very small or worthless amount of something, usually used in negative sentences.

For teachers: a negligible or insignificant amount; almost exclusively used in negative constructions to emphasize lack of value.

- He worked all weekend but he didn't earn beans for his effort.
- Despite the aggressive marketing campaign, the new startup's actual profits didn't amount to beans by the end of the fiscal year.

Usage: Usually appears in the phrase 'not amount to beans' or 'not know beans about something.'

### 3. pills

noun · CEFR C1 · Slang

a slang word for drugs that come in the form of pills.

For teachers: a slang term for illicit drugs or medication in tablet or capsule form.

- The police found a small bag of beans in the suspect's pocket.
- The undercover operation targeted local distributors who were selling various types of beans at music festivals.

### 4. animal paw pads

noun · CEFR B1 · Informal · Humorous

the soft, pink or black pads on the bottom of a cat or dog's paw.

For teachers: the digital and metacarpal pads on the underside of an animal's paw, particularly a cat.

- The kitten stretched its legs, showing its tiny pink beans.
- Social media users often share close-up photographs of their pets' paws, affectionately referring to the pads as toe beans.

Teaching tip: This is a very modern, internet-centric term often used by pet owners.

### 5. testicles

noun · CEFR C2 · Slang · Vulgar

a rude word for a man's testicles.

For teachers: a slang term for the testicles.

- The player was doubled over after the ball hit him right in the beans.
- The comedian made a crude joke about being kicked in the beans during a fight.

## Examples

- I like to eat beans with rice for dinner.
- The chef soaked the dried beans overnight to ensure they would be soft enough for the stew.
- Agricultural scientists are developing drought-resistant varieties of beans to help farmers maintain stable yields in increasingly arid climates.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.