haricot
C1Formal, culinary, technical (botany/agriculture)
Definition
Meaning
A type of small, oval, creamy-white bean (Phaseolus vulgaris), typically dried and used in cooking.
Refers specifically to the mature, dried seed of the bean plant, as opposed to green beans. In French cuisine, also denotes a specific stew (haricot de mouton).
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Primarily refers to the dried bean. The term is more specific than 'bean'. Often used in the plural 'haricots'.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
In British English, 'haricot bean' is the standard term for the specific small white bean used in dishes like baked beans. In American English, the term is less common and often replaced by 'navy bean', 'white bean', or 'pea bean'.
Connotations
British: neutral, specific culinary term. American: somewhat formal, possibly perceived as a French loanword used in gourmet contexts.
Frequency
High frequency in UK culinary contexts; low frequency in general US English, except in specific recipes or technical descriptions.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
to soak the haricots overnightto cook with haricotsa stew made with haricot beansVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Not a bean (idiom unrelated to haricot)”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Rare. Used in agricultural commodity reports or specialty food import/export.
Academic
Used in botany, agriculture, and culinary history texts.
Everyday
Used in cooking instructions, recipes, and shopping for ingredients.
Technical
Used in botanical classification and food science.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- This recipe requires you to haricot the beans? (Note: 'haricot' is not used as a verb.)
American English
- (Not used as a verb.)
adverb
British English
- (Not used as an adverb.)
American English
- (Not used as an adverb.)
adjective
British English
- A classic haricot bean stew.
American English
- The haricot variety is preferred for this dish.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- I bought a tin of haricot beans.
- Soak the haricots in water for at least eight hours before cooking.
- The traditional cassoulet is slow-cooked with haricot beans, duck, and sausage.
- Agricultural studies focus on the yield differences between various cultivars of haricot beans.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
HARIcot beans are often found in a HARRY (hurry) in the famous British 'beans on toast' quick meal.
Conceptual Metaphor
A BUILDING BLOCK OF NUTRITION (e.g., 'Haricots are the foundation of the soup').
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid confusing with 'фасоль' (fasol') which is a broader term for beans. 'Haricot' is a specific type of white bean.
Common Mistakes
- Pronouncing it as /həˈriː.koʊ/ (like 'harry-coat').
- Using 'haricot' to refer to green beans.
- Spelling as 'haricot' without the 't'.
Practice
Quiz
Which of these is a common synonym for 'haricot bean' in American English?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No. 'Haricot' specifically refers to the dried seed of the bean plant. Green beans are the immature, edible pods.
The term entered English via French. Its retention in British English is largely due to the historical popularity of specific dishes (like baked beans) using this bean, whereas in the US, different regional names like 'navy bean' became standard.
In British English, pronounce it as /ˈhær.ɪ.kəʊ/ (HA-ri-koh). In American English, it is often /ˈher.ɪ.koʊ/ (HEH-ri-koh), though the first vowel can sometimes sound like the 'a' in 'hat'.
Yes, but it is far less common. The singular 'a haricot bean' is grammatical, but in practical usage, the plural 'haricots' or the phrase 'haricot beans' is almost always used.