lima bean
noun
li·ma bean
| \ ˈlī-mə-
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Definition of lima bean
1
: a bushy or vining tropical American bean (Phaseolus lunatus synonym Phaseolus limensis) that is widely cultivated for its flat edible starchy seed which is usually pale green when immature and whitish or beige when mature
2
: the seed of a lima bean eaten usually cooked as a vegetable — see butter bean, sieva bean
Examples of lima bean in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
These have included lima beans, asparagus beans and hyacinth beans. — Washington Post, "Vines are a romantic addition to the garden — until they go rogue," 9 July 2019 The Grand Del Mar golf course was once a lima bean farm. — Martina Schimitschek, San Diego Union-Tribune, "Carmel Valley: Large homes, parks and award-winning schools," 30 June 2019 These signals seem to be a universal language: sagebrush induces responses in tobacco; chili peppers and lima beans respond to cucumber emissions, too. — Quanta Magazine, "The Secret Language of Plants," 16 Dec. 2013 An entree of breaded crab cakes, staged on a succotash of corn, tomatoes and lima beans, made me wonder why all Maryland crab cakes aren’t served this way. — Christina Tkacik, baltimoresun.com, "Break bread at The Tilted Row in Bolton Hill," 3 July 2019 Stir in the lima beans, chives, tarragon, butter, salt, and pepper. — ExpressNews.com, "Recipe: Lima Bean and Roasted Corn Succotash," 12 June 2019 As marsupials, tree kangaroos give birth to babies the size of lima beans, that resemble partially developed fetuses. — San Diego Union-Tribune, "‘Roos, geese, and a blue-tongued lizard: Behind the scenes at San Diego Zoo Safari Park," 8 June 2019 They are found on cowpeas, lima beans, snap beans, soybeans in most states east of the Mississippi River as well as parts of Arizona, Colorado, Nebraska, Texas, and Utah. — The Editors, Good Housekeeping, "The 10 Most Destructive Garden Insects and How to Get Rid of Them," 10 July 2018 When the oil starts smoking, throw the lima beans in first. — Dana Mcmahan, The Courier-Journal, "Mayan Cafe's lima beans have a cult following. Now you can make them yourself," 27 Feb. 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'lima bean.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for lima bean
lima bean
noun
English Language Learners Definition of lima bean
: a type of flat and pale green or white bean
See the full definition for lima bean in the English Language Learners Dictionary
lima bean
noun
li·ma bean
| \ ˈlī-mə-
\
\
Kids Definition of lima bean
: the edible seed of a bean plant that is usually pale green or white