Beanstalk
/ˈbiːn.stɔːk/noun
The climbing stem of a bean plant.
Did you know?The fairy-tale giant’s ladder is just an ordinary compound of two old Germanic words, but once you say it aloud, it instantly turns a garden plant into a symbol of upward, enchanted escape.
Etymological Timeline
Old English
OE
bēan
“bean, the edible seed of certain leguminous plants”
Old English
OE
stalu
“stalk, stem, or support of a plant”
Middle English
ME
bene-stalk
“the stem or climbing shoot of a bean plant”
Early Modern English
English
beanstalk
“the stalk of a bean plant”
Modern English
English
beanstalk
“the climbing stem of a bean plant”