What is "sacred bean"

Sacred \Sa"cred\, a. [Originally p. p. of OE. sacren to consecrate, F. sacrer, fr. L. sacrare, fr. sacer sacred, holy, cursed. Cf. Consecrate, Execrate, Saint, Sexton.]

1. Set apart by solemn religious ceremony; especially, in a good sense, made holy; set apart to religious use; consecrated; not profane or common; as, a sacred place; a sacred day; sacred service.

2. Relating to religion, or to the services of religion; not secular; religious; as, sacred history.

   Smit with the love of sacred song.
   --Milton.

3. Designated or exalted by a divine sanction; possessing the highest title to obedience, honor, reverence, or veneration; entitled to extreme reverence; venerable.

   Such neighbor nearness to our sacred [royal] blood Should nothing privilege him.
   --Shak.

   Poet and saint to thee alone were given, The two most sacred names of earth and heaven.
   --Cowley.

4. Hence, not to be profaned or violated; inviolable.

   Secrets of marriage still are sacred held.
   --Dryden.

5. Consecrated; dedicated; devoted; -- with to.

   A temple, sacred to the queen of love.
   --Dryden.

6. Solemnly devoted, in a bad sense, as to evil, vengeance, curse, or the like; accursed; baleful. [Archaic]

   But, to destruction sacred and devote.
   --Milton.

   Society of the Sacred Heart (R.C. Ch.), a religious order of women, founded in France in 1800, and approved in 1826. It was introduced into America in 181

7. The members of the order devote themselves to the higher branches of female education. Sacred baboon. (Zo["o]l.) See Hamadryas. Sacred bean (Bot.), a seed of the Oriental lotus ( Nelumbo speciosa or Nelumbium speciosum), a plant resembling a water lily; also, the plant itself. See Lotus. Sacred beetle (Zo["o]l.) See Scarab. Sacred canon. See Canon, n., 3. Sacred fish (Zo["o]l.), any one of numerous species of fresh-water African fishes of the family Mormyrid[ae]. Several large species inhabit the Nile and were considered sacred by the ancient Egyptians; especially Mormyrus oxyrhynchus. Sacred ibis. See Ibis. Sacred monkey. (Zo["o]l.)

   1. Any Asiatic monkey of the genus Semnopithecus, regarded as sacred by the Hindoos; especially, the entellus. See Entellus.

   2. The sacred baboon. See Hamadryas.

   3. The bhunder, or rhesus monkey.

      Sacred place (Civil Law), the place where a deceased person is buried.

      Syn: Holy; divine; hallowed; consecrated; dedicated; devoted; religious; venerable; reverend. [1913 Webster] -- Sa"cred*ly, adv. -- Sa"cred*ness, n.

Bean \Bean\ (b[=e]n), n. [OE. bene, AS. be['a]n; akin to D. boon, G. bohne, OHG. p[=o]na, Icel. baun, Dan. b["o]nne, Sw. b["o]na, and perh. to Russ. bob, L. faba.]

1. (Bot.) A name given to the seed of certain leguminous herbs, chiefly of the genera Faba, Phaseolus, and Dolichos; also, to the herbs.

   Note: The origin and classification of many kinds are still doubtful. Among true beans are: the black-eyed bean and China bean, included in Dolichos Sinensis; black Egyptian bean or hyacinth bean, Dolichos Lablab; the common haricot beans, kidney beans, string beans, and pole beans, all included in Phaseolus vulgaris; the lower bush bean, Phaseolus vulgaris, variety nanus; Lima bean, Phaseolus lunatus; Spanish bean and scarlet runner, Phaseolus multiflorus; Windsor bean, the common bean of England, Faba vulgaris. [1913 Webster] As an article of food beans are classed with vegetables.

2. The popular name of other vegetable seeds or fruits, more or less resembling true beans. Bean aphis (Zo["o]l.), a plant louse ( Aphis fab[ae]) which infests the bean plant. Bean fly (Zo["o]l.), a fly found on bean flowers. Bean goose (Zo["o]l.), a species of goose ( Anser segetum). Bean weevil (Zo["o]l.), a small weevil that in the larval state destroys beans. The American species is Bruchus fab[ae]. Florida bean (Bot.), the seed of Mucuna urens, a West Indian plant. The seeds are washed up on the Florida shore, and are often polished and made into ornaments. Ignatius bean, or St. Ignatius's bean (Bot.), a species of Strychnos. Navy bean, the common dried white bean of commerce; probably so called because an important article of food in the navy. Pea bean, a very small and highly esteemed variety of the edible white bean; -- so called from its size. Sacred bean. See under Sacred. Screw bean. See under Screw. Sea bean.

   1. Same as Florida bean.

   2. A red bean of unknown species used for ornament.

      Tonquin bean, or Tonka bean, the fragrant seed of Dipteryx odorata, a leguminous tree.

      Vanilla bean. See under Vanilla.