beanpole
UK[ˈbiːnpəʊl]US[ˈbiːnpoʊl]
n
A tall, thin pole used to support climbing bean plants.
n
(informal) A very tall, thin person.
Morpheme Breakdown
bean
pole
bean
plant
pole
long stick
Etymology
The word 'beanpole' is a transparent compound formed from two native English elements. 'Bean', with ancient Germanic roots, originally referred broadly to leguminous seeds. 'Pole' traces back to a Proto-Indo-European root meaning 'to fasten', which yielded the Latin 'palus' for 'stake' and entered Old English. The compound literally describes a tall stake used to support bean vines. By the mid-19th century, this literal sense was extended metaphorically in informal usage to describe a person whose tall, slender physique resembles such a garden support, completing the journey from a concrete agricultural tool to a vivid human descriptor.
Analysis
Structure: bean (plant) + pole (long stick)
- bean: From Old English 'bēan', of Germanic origin; refers to the seed of various leguminous plants.
- pole: From Old English 'pāl', via Latin 'palus' meaning 'stake'; refers to a long, slender piece of wood or metal.
Examples
The gardener tied the young bean plants to the sturdy beanpole.
Ever since his growth spurt, the lanky teenager has been called a beanpole by his friends.
She used bamboo canes as beanpoles in her vegetable patch.