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Glite Dictionary
navy bean

navy bean

1 1.5
A small white dried bean used in soups and baked beans
  • noun
  • /ˈneɪvi bin/
  • US
translation icon : frijol navy
  • Sheraldeen left the pizza joint and her husband and went to work at the Chinese restaurant out on the highway, where a plastic basket of white bread came with each meal and the menu included navy bean soup.
  • navy bean soup
  • dried navy beans
  • 1/2 cup navy beans

However, what you're getting with Navy beans is compact nutrition.

Examples

  • I like squishy navy beans or Ranch Style beans, but are they good on a salad?

    Blog text (26)

  • Pinto and navy beans account for 5 of those pounds, eaten mostly as refried beans (pintos) or as canned pork and beans (navy).

    Academic text (2000)

  • Potato soup and navy bean soup were our daily food.

    Blog text (29)

  • However, what you're getting with Navy beans is compact nutrition.

    MIgardener

  • You know, Benson, I think I'll have a bowl of navy-bean soup.

    The Bride Walks Out (1936)

  • Every afternoon, she sat down at the small kitchen table just inside the back door with a plate of stew, a slice of meatloaf, or a warmed-up bowl of navy bean soup.

    Fiction book (1997)

  • Milla walked slowly past the schoolhouse and the Methodist church, and at the mercantile bought a pound of buckwheat and some dried navy beans.

    Fiction book (2002)

  • The bags were filled with Navy beans, measuring 3.5 in. (90 mm) in diameter and weighing 1.25 ounces (35.43 g).

    Academic text (1992)

  • To make a hearty stew, add 2 cups of navy beans and let them simmer for an hour.

  • For lunch, I enjoyed a delicious bowl of navy bean soup garnished with fresh herbs.

Synonyms

white bean
vsnavy bean
4 1.1

A small white seed that people cook and eat

is a specific small variety often used in baked beans and soups
pea bean
vsnavy bean
2.5

A small white seed that is dried and cooked to eat

is the small variety commonly used in baked beans and soups

Surface Forms

navy bean singular
navy beans plural

Morphology

navy + bean

Although composed of familiar words, the meaning 'a small white bean' is not derivable from 'navy' (deep dark blue or the naval force) + 'bean' (edible seed); a learner would likely infer a blue bean or a bean associated with the navy. The term is a conventional variety name (historical/lexical) whose referent is arbitrary and thus requires prior exposure.

Etymology

Navy bean: The noun Navy bean may come from the small white beans that were used to feed 'sailors' in the navy long ago. So today Navy bean means a small white bean often used in soups and baked beans.