butternut

American  

[buht-er-nuht] / ˈbʌt ərˌnʌt /

noun

1. Also called white walnut.  the edible oily nut of an American tree, Juglans cinerea, of the walnut family.

2. the tree itself.

3. the light-brown wood of this tree, used for making furniture.

4. the light-brown color resulting from a dye made from this tree.

5. U.S. History. a Confederate soldier or partisan, especially one whose uniform was dyed with an extract from this tree.

6. souari nut.

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butternut British  

/ ˈbʌtəˌnʌt /

noun

1. a walnut tree, Juglans cinerea of E North America Compare black walnut

2. the oily edible egg-shaped nut of this tree

3. the hard brownish-grey wood of this tree

4. the bark of this tree or an extract from it, formerly used as a laxative

5. a brownish colour or dye

6. short for butternut pumpkin

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Etymology

Origin of butternut

An Americanism dating back to 1735–45; so called from the nut's oiliness

Example Sentences

This supplies the UK with 55 million cobs of corn each year, along with chillis, butternut squash, and also green beans.

From BBC • Feb. 18, 2026

From classic corn, cheddar, and bacon, to autumnal butternut squash with sage, to a “farmers market” mix of roasted vegetables, goat cheese, and onion jam, each muffin can be its own little experiment.

From Salon • Dec. 18, 2025

For a more autumnal spin, I tuck in about ½ cup of cubed, softened butternut squash, a sprinkle of brown sugar, cubes of manchego, and a few torn sage leaves.

From Salon • Nov. 4, 2025

Among them were a chicken tikka pie, a pie flower salmon chaï-matchaï, a Caribbean-style jerk spiced turkey pie with cranberry sauce and a butternut and malabar pie.

From BBC • Mar. 7, 2025

Erik lands a good one on the top of the butternut.

From "Invisible Inkling" by Emily Jenkins