bean stalks

Meanings

1. 1nounplural

   The long stems of a bean plant, especially the climbing kind that winds around a support.

   Grammar: This is the plural form; use 'bean stalk' for one stem.

   Patterns

   • bean stalks grow up something
   • tie bean stalks to something

   The bean stalks climbed the bamboo poles in our garden.

   By July, the bean stalks had reached the top of the fence.

   He tied the bean stalks to a frame so they would not fall over.

2. 2nounpluralliterary

   The huge plant that Jack climbs in the traditional story 'Jack and the Beanstalk'.

   Grammar: Used mainly in the phrase 'Jack and the Beanstalk'; the plural here refers to the story's famous plant.

   Patterns

   • Jack and the Beanstalk

   The children acted out the scene where Jack climbs the bean stalks.

   In the story, the bean stalks grow overnight up into the clouds.

Word forms

Common combinations

climb bean stalks

In the fairy tale, Jack climbs bean stalks to reach the giant's castle.

bean stalks grow

The bean stalks grow very quickly in warm weather.

tie bean stalks

You should tie bean stalks to a support as they get taller.

tall bean stalks

Tall bean stalks need a strong frame.

Synonyms and how they differ

bean vines

Bean vines is a more general term for the whole climbing plant, while bean stalks refers specifically to the stems.

Word family

beanstalk noun

A single stem of a bean plant, often written as one word.

Commonly confused: bean stalks or bean sprouts?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “bean stalks”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

Explore more words