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Glite Dictionary
soja bean

soja bean

2.8
A bushy plant grown for small edible seeds used for food and oil
  • noun
  • /ˈsoʊdʒə biːn/
  • UK
translation icon : frijol de soja
  • In Asia, soja beans are used to make tofu and soy milk.

Examples

  • The farmer planted soja beans to improve the soil and boost his annual harvest.

  • Research into soja bean genetics has led to more resilient crop varieties.

  • Many vegetarian dishes use soja bean products as a primary source of protein.

  • The soja bean is a versatile crop.

  • She prefers soja beans over other legumes.

  • Vegetarians often include soja beans in their diets because they are high in protein.

  • The soja bean is a key ingredient in many meat alternatives sold in stores.

Synonyms

bean
vssoja bean
512 1.0

An edible seed or pod from plants like peas and lentils used for food

is a specific Asian legume species rather than legumes in general
soy
vssoja bean
  • US
68 1.2

A plant that produces edible seeds used for food, oil, and animal feed

is the same species described more as a cultivated crop in the key
soybean
vssoja bean
  • US
57 1.8

A plant grown for its beans used to make food, animal feed, and oil

is the identical plant term used in the original description
soya
vssoja bean
  • UK
1 2.3

A bushy plant that makes beans used for food and oil

is the same crop but stressed as the specific plant in the key
bean plant
vssoja bean
1 1.4

A plant that produces beans you can eat

names a particular Asian species rather than a broad group of legumes
soya bean
vssoja bean
  • UK
2.4

A plant with seeds used to make food, oil, and animal feed

is the same plant but named differently in the source description
Glycine max
vssoja bean
  • Specialized
7.3

A plant also called soybean that is grown for edible seeds used for food and oil

is the everyday descriptive name rather than the scientific label
soybean plant
vssoja bean
2.9

A plant that makes beans used for food and oil

focuses on the plant in general terms rather than detailed botanical traits
soja
vssoja bean
  • UK
8.9

A bushy plant that makes oil-rich seeds used for food and animal feed

emphasizes the crop for seeds specifically as in the main description
shell bean plant
vssoja bean
6.8

A plant that farmers grow for its edible bean seeds rather than its pod

is the specific Asian crop rather than any plant with that seed focus

Surface Forms

soja bean singular
soja beans plural
soybeans plural
soybean singular

Morphology

soja + bean

The meaning is directly compositional: 'soja' (a food/soil-improving plant) combined with 'bean' (an edible seed) yields a specific kind of bean (soybean). This noun+noun type-denoting construction is cross-linguistically common and follows straightforward English compounding, so a B1 learner who knows the constituents can infer the meaning.

Etymology

Soja bean probably comes from Asian words for 'soy', because people in Asia used the soja bean long ago to make soy foods and sauces. That's why soja bean today means the edible bean used for oil and protein.