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Definition of mung bean
mung bean
Plural:mung beans
mung bean Lexical Profile
CEFR
B2
Grade
6
Tier
2
Usage
Top 10k
• noun
1
A small, round, green edible seed of a leguminous plant native to the Indian subcontinent, commonly sprouted or used in Asian soups, curries, and desserts.
Example
"She soaked the mung beans overnight before adding them to the hearty vegetable stew."
2
The bushy, annual leguminous plant (Vigna radiata) of the pea family that produces mung beans, widely cultivated in tropical and subtropical regions across Asia.
Example
"The farmer devoted three acres to cultivating the mung bean due to its drought-resistant qualities."
Synonyms
View all synonyms for mung beanWord Origin & Etymology
The word 'mung' derives from the Hindi word 'mūṅg', which ultimately traces back to the Sanskrit 'mudga'. It was combined with the English word 'bean' (from Old English 'bēan').
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.
180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer
Cite this Entry
Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Mung bean. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Oct 14, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/mung bean