Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

bean-eater

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: 3.31 in modern English

Syllables
bean-eater
IPA
11
Scrabble Score
9
Letters
2
Syllables
6
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A Mexican.

American usage; Derogatory; Offensive

noun

A Bostonian (a person from Boston, Massachusetts).

American usage; Dated; Derogatory

Etymology

The sense referring to Mexicans is explained by beans being a staple of Mexican cuisine. The sense referring to Bostonians came from a time when navy beans were a staple in Boston, especially as Boston baked beans. It is sometimes said to have originated in reference to immigrants there, but in usage it more often has referred to Boston Brahmins just as much as other Bostonians, and the assertion may well be only an ill-founded assumption.

Usage

Inflected Forms

bean-eaters (plural) bean eater (alternative) beaneater (alternative)

Phrases

potato eater rice-eater

Frequently Paired Words

beaner potato eater rice-eater

Questions

What does bean-eater mean?
A Mexican.
Where does bean-eater come from?
The sense referring to Mexicans is explained by beans being a staple of Mexican cuisine. The sense referring to Bostonians came from a time when navy beans were a staple in Boston, especially as Boston baked beans. It is sometimes said to have originated in reference to immigrants there, but in usage it more often has referred to Boston Brahmins just as much as other Bostonians, and the assertion may well be only an ill-founded assumption.

How to pronounce bean-eater

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  2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling () so you know which sounds to aim for.
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  4. Repeat and practice — Say “bean-eater” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.