butter bean

noun

1

chiefly Southern US and Midland US

a

: lima bean sense 2

Note: The name butter bean is used chiefly for either a small white or pale green lima bean or a large white to tannish lima bean.

For heartier appetites, a pair of succulent spring lamb chops cozy up to baby herbed lima beans (sometimes known as butter beans).

—Better Homes and Gardens

… we sampled big, silk-textured butter beans shimmering in their juices …

—Jane and Michael Stern

b

: a plant (Phaseolus lunatus) that bears butter beans

2

: wax bean

3

: a green shell bean especially as opposed to a snap bean

Examples of butter bean in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Lima Beans Lima beans, also known as butter beans, contain 13.41 grams of protein per cup. —Nancy Lebrun, Verywell Health, 11 Oct. 2024

Yes, butter beans and lima beans are the same thing. —Darcy Lenz, Southern Living, 7 Oct. 2024

Dietary options: Gluten-free, vegan, vegetarian Meal examples: Italian butter bean stew with croutons and Parmesan kale; creamy peanut noodles with gingered green beans and lime; green veggie burgers with tzatziki and garlic fries. —Kristi Kellogg, SELF, 12 Aug. 2024

The menu, just a dozen dishes long, is deceptively simple: chicory salad, butter beans, winter panzanella, roast chicken. —Elise Taylor, Vogue, 17 Apr. 2024

That may seem like a profane addition to this Southern stew typically made with chicken, rabbit or squirrel plus tomatoes, butter beans, corn, potatoes and onions. —Andrea Weigl, Charlotte Observer, 31 Jan. 2024

Chicken Bog used to be a traditional meal in fish camps, cooked on the riverbanks in big black iron pots and served with butter beans and other local vegetables. —Southern Living Editors, Southern Living, 22 Nov. 2022

Diners eat the snack with the chef’s rustic, housemade bread with the texture of a biscuit, which is also an escort for the silky butter bean spread, shot through with lemon and garlic and sprinkled with paprika. —Tom Sietsema, Washington Post, 24 Nov. 2023

This Thoroughbred horse farm combines bourbon tastings from distilleries around the state with hyperlocal food (cast-iron corn bread with sorghum brown butter; whole trout with butter beans), all in a single agritourism package. —Emily Bingham, Travel + Leisure, 23 Oct. 2023

Word History

First Known Use

1920, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

butter bean

noun

1

: wax bean

2

: lima bean

3

: a green shell bean especially as opposed to a snap bean