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Glite Dictionary
turtle bean

turtle bean

5.0
A small black bean often dried and used in cooking
  • noun
  • /ˈtɜːrtəl biːn/
  • US
translation icon : frijol negro
  • Vegetarian chili is often made with turtle beans as the main protein source.
  • black turtle beans

So these are the, these are the, the midnight black turtle bean.

Examples

  • I bought some turtle beans at the market.

  • The recipe calls for one cup of dried turtle beans soaked overnight.

  • She added cooked turtle beans to her salad for extra flavor and nutrition.

  • The turtle bean is rich in protein.

  • For dinner, I cooked a hearty soup with turtle beans, carrots, and spices.

  • You can find turtle beans in many Hispanic grocery stores, often used in traditional dishes.

  • Adding turtle beans to the chili gave it a rich flavor and a great texture.

Synonyms

black bean
vsturtle bean
14 1.3

A small shiny black bean used in cooking

is a specific variety native to Central and South America

Surface Forms

turtle bean singular
turtle beans plural

Morphology

turtle + bean

This is a noun–noun compound in which the first noun specifies a variety of the second, so a learner who knows 'turtle' and 'bean' will reasonably infer it refers to a kind of bean. The exact cultivar properties (e.g. small, black) are not fully predictable from 'turtle', but the basic meaning 'a type of bean' is transparently derived from the constituents and common cross-linguistic compounding patterns.

Etymology

Turtle bean may get its name from its dark, shiny skin that looks like a turtle's shell and its small size as a bean. One popular idea is that this shell-like look made people call the little black bean a 'turtle bean', and today the name means a small black bean used in cooking.