peanut

[pee-nuht, -nuht]

noun

1. the pod or the enclosed edible seed of the plant, Arachis hypogaea, of the legume family: the pod is forced underground in growing, where it ripens.

2. the plant itself.

3. any small or insignificant person or thing.

4. peanuts,

   1. Informal.,  a very small amount of money.

      working for peanuts.

   2. Slang.,  barbiturates.

   3. small pieces of Styrofoam used as a packing material.

adjective

1. of or relating to the peanut or peanuts.

2. made with or from peanuts.

3. Informal.,  small, insignificant, or petty.

peanut

/ ˈpiːˌnʌt /

noun

1. See also peanuts

   1. a leguminous plant, Arachis hypogaea, of tropical America: widely cultivated for its edible seeds. The seed pods are forced underground where they ripen See also hog peanut

   2. Also called: goober.  goober pea.  groundnut.  monkey nut. the edible nutlike seed of this plant, used for food and as a source of oil

Other Word Forms

• peanutty adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of peanut¹

An Americanism dating back to 1790–1800; pea ¹ + nut

Example Sentences

The main course, a whole fried sea bream, served with a ginger fish sauce caramel, peanuts, herbs, lemon, and wild pepper leaves to delicately wrap each fried morsel, truly blew me away.

From Salon

One week, when his defense gave up over 400 rushing yards, he responded by buying huge tubs of peanut butter, convinced more sandwiches could be the key to bulking up his defensive front.

From Los Angeles Times

Under current regulations, food packaging in the UK and EU already lists the most common allergens for people to be aware of, such as egg, peanuts and sesame.

From BBC

“They suffocated — that was a packing issue. Should have used more peanuts.”

From Los Angeles Times

Food packaging in the UK and EU already lists the most common allergens for people to be aware of, such as egg, peanuts and sesame.

From BBC

Related Words

• groundnut