Dutch case-knife bean
- noun
- UK
- The Dutch case-knife bean thrives in tropical climates and produces beautiful red flowers.
Examples
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In some British recipes, Dutch case-knife bean is preferred for its rich flavor and texture.
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The farmer proudly displayed his harvest of Dutch case-knife beans at the local market.
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The Dutch case-knife bean is a unique plant.
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Many gardeners enjoy growing Dutch case-knife beans.
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In some British recipes, Dutch case-knife bean is preferred for its rich flavor and texture.
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The Dutch case-knife bean thrives in tropical climates and produces beautiful red flowers.
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The farmer proudly displayed his harvest of Dutch case-knife beans at the local market.
Synonyms
A climbing plant with long green pods and red flowers grown for food
A climbing bean plant that people grow for its beans and pods
A climbing bean plant from tropical America that lives for several years and has red flowers and edible pods
A climbing plant with red flowers and long edible pods
A climbing bean plant with red flowers and long edible pods
A bean plant with long pods that people cook and eat
Surface Forms
Morphology
The headword is clearly a noun phrase naming a specific type of bean, so a learner who knows 'Dutch' and 'bean' can infer it is a bean variety associated with the Netherlands. However, the central modifier 'case-knife' is obscure/not lexically transparent here (not a productive, compositional element), so the specific sense and why the variety is named that way are not derivable. Therefore the overall meaning is partly clear (a kind of bean) but not fully predictable without exposure.
Etymology
The noun Dutch case-knife bean may come from Dutch sailors who brought the plant to Britain. Its long, flat pods looked like a small folding case-knife, so people named the bean after the Dutch traders.