pecan

American  

[pi-kahn, -kan, pee-kan] / pɪˈkɑn, -ˈkæn, ˈpi kæn /

noun

1. a tall hickory tree, Carya illinoinensis, of the southern U.S. and Mexico, cultivated for its oval, smooth-shelled, edible nuts: the state tree of Texas.

2. a nut of this tree.

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pecan British  

/ pɪˈkæn, ˈpiːkən /

noun

1. a hickory tree, Carya pecan (or C. illinoensis ), of the southern US, having deeply furrowed bark and edible nuts

2. the smooth oval nut of this tree, which has a sweet oily kernel

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Etymology

Origin of pecan

1765–75, < Mississippi Valley French pacane < Illinois pakani < Proto-Algonquian *paka·n- nut (derivative of *pake·- crack nuts)

Example Sentences

After a quick stop at the dessert station for a jumbo pecan brownie, I follow my family to a circle of painted lawn chairs.

From Literature

And to finish me off, I sunk my teeth into two slices of pecan pie.

From Literature

My first project was a trio of Thanksgiving pies made entirely from scratch: apple, pumpkin and pecan.

From Salon

It was a marvel of its genre: cream cheese, sharp cheddar, a splash of Worcestershire, a spoonful of sugar, crushed pineapple, pecans.

From Salon

The company calls Thanksgiving its Super Bowl, when its cooks crank out to-go meals of ham, turkey and pecan pie.

From The Wall Street Journal