navy bean

English

Etymology

So called because the United States Navy has served the beans as a staple to its sailors since the mid-1800s.

Noun

navy bean (plural navy beans)

1. A white bean of a variety of common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris). [from 19th c.]

   Synonyms: pearl haricot bean, boston bean, white pea bean

   Hypernyms: common bean, haricot, haricot bean, pea bean

   • 1851 May 10, “The Markets”, in North Carolina Standard‎^[1], volume 1, no. 53, Raleigh, N.C., archived from the original on 2016-09-25, page 3:

     Beans—Very scarce Navy Beans 112 a 115c.

   • 1937, Zora Neale Hurston, Their Eyes Were Watching God, Amistad, published 2013, page 132:

     Janie […] baked big pans of navy beans with plenty of sugar and hunks of bacon laying on top.

Related terms

• baked beans (often made from navy beans)
• bean-eater
• Boston baked beans