jelly bean

Thân thiện

A child pours colorful jelly beans from a small paper bag into their hand.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • A small, bean-shaped candy with a firm sugar shell and a soft, chewy interior. The candy is typically brightly colored and fruit-flavored.

Usage

• The word "jelly bean" is a countable noun. It refers to a single piece of this type of candy. The plural form is "jelly beans."
• It is commonly used to describe the candy itself, often in contexts involving sweets, holidays (like Easter), or as a casual treat.

Examples

• Noun:
  • She offered me a red jelly bean from the bag.
  • The children sorted the jelly beans by color before eating them.
  • A bowl of jelly beans was placed on the counter for guests.

Advanced Usage

• "Jelly bean" as a descriptor: Informally, the term can be used attributively to describe objects that are small, colorful, and bean-shaped.
  • He collected jelly bean-shaped erasers.

Variants and Related Words

• Jelly bean is a compound noun. There are no common variants for the singular form.
• Related terms include candy, confectionery, sweet (UK English).

Synonyms

• Candy: A general term for sweet food made with sugar.
• Confection: A more formal term for a sweet item, often elaborately prepared.
• Sweet (chiefly British): The common British English term for a piece of candy.

Idioms and Phrases

• While "jelly bean" itself is not typically part of idioms, it can appear in descriptive phrases.
  • A rainbow of jelly beans: Meaning a wide assortment of colors.
• The term is famously associated with U.S. President Ronald Reagan, who kept a jar of them in his office, leading to the occasional phrase "Reagan's jelly beans."

Học thuật

Noun

1. sugar-glazed jellied candy

Từ đồng nghĩa

• jelly egg