Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

bean counter

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: 3.88 in modern English

Syllables: bean -counter
IPA

15

Scrabble Score

11

Letters

2

Syllables

9

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A person who is excessively interested in controlling or reducing expenses, increasing profits, or in quantitative details in general.

Derogatory

Example Sentences

"As any good bean counter will tell you, it costs money to treat people at a hospital."
"And, in our case, the accounting firm of Halpern & Mantovani, CPA, in Encino, Calif., Chais' chief bean counter, pumped out the quarterly statements as if it were all rock solid."
"With bean counters hopefully no longer in charge of the railways, Great British Railways has an opportunity to justify the adjective in its name."

Etymology

Probably from German Erbsenzähler (literally “pea counter”).

Origin

Source language: German

Word Breakdown

Root: Erbsenzähler

Usage

Derogatory

Inflected Forms

bean counters (plural) bean-counter (alternative) beancounter (alternative)

Frequently Paired Words

beancount

Questions

What does bean counter mean?: A person who is excessively interested in controlling or reducing expenses, increasing profits, or in quantitative details in general.
Where does bean counter come from?: It is traced to German.

How to pronounce bean counter

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