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Definition of butter beans

butter beans

Plural:butter beans
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• noun

1

The large, flat, pale-colored edible seeds of the lima bean plant (Phaseolus lunatus), prized in Southern American and British cooking for their rich, starchy, and buttery texture when simmered.

Example

"She simmered a pot of dried butter beans with ham hocks and onions for Sunday dinner."

2

American A cultivar of the common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) having tender, yellow-colored pods that are cooked and eaten whole; wax beans.

Example

"At the summer farmers' market, we bought fresh yellow butter beans to steam alongside the corn."

Synonyms
View all synonyms for butter beans

• Nearby Words

butter
butter and eggs
butter bean
butter beans
butterball
butterbean
buttercream

Usage Trend

Historical frequency of usage in published text.

180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer

Cite this Entry

Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Butter beans. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Nov 5, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/butter-beans
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