haricots

Meanings

1. 1nounplural

   Small white beans that are dried and cooked, often used in baked beans and soups.

   Grammar: Usually plural in form; the singular "haricot" exists but is rare outside the phrase "haricot bean".

   Patterns

   • haricots in sauce
   • a can of haricots
   • cook the haricots

   Soak the haricots overnight before you cook them.

   She made a simple stew with haricots, tomatoes, and herbs.

   The recipe calls for a pound of dried haricots.

2. 2nounpluralBritish

   Thin green beans eaten whole as a vegetable, especially in the phrase "haricots verts".

   Grammar: Used mainly in the fixed French phrase "haricots verts"; the adjective "verts" stays plural in French.

   Patterns

   • haricots verts
   • serve haricots verts with something

   We had roast lamb with haricots verts.

   Haricots verts are longer and thinner than ordinary green beans.

Word forms

Common combinations

haricot beans

Haricot beans are the base of most canned baked beans.

haricots verts

Steam the haricots verts for just three minutes.

dried haricots

Dried haricots need a long soak before cooking.

a tin of haricots

He opened a tin of haricots and heated them with garlic.

haricots in tomato sauce

The children prefer haricots in tomato sauce on toast.

Synonyms and how they differ

white beans

A general everyday term; "haricots" is more specific and often appears in French-style recipes.

navy beans

A type of small white bean common in the US; haricots is the broader British term.

green beans

Use this for the fresh podded vegetable; "haricots verts" is the thinner French kind.

Word family

haricot noun

The singular form, used mainly in "haricot bean".

Commonly confused: haricots or apricots?

Practice

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