pistachio

Also pis·tache

[pi-stash-ee-oh, -stah-shee-oh]

noun

plural

pistachios 

1. the nut of a Eurasian tree, Pistacia vera, of the cashew family, containing an edible, greenish kernel.

2. the kernel itself, used for flavoring.

3. the tree itself.

4. pistachio nut flavor.

5. pistachio green.

pistachio

/ pɪˈstɑːʃɪˌəʊ /

noun

1. an anacardiaceous tree, Pistacia vera, of the Mediterranean region and W Asia, with small hard-shelled nuts

2. Also called: pistachio nut. the nut of this tree, having an edible green kernel

3. the sweet flavour of the pistachio nut, used esp in ice creams

adjective

1. of a yellowish-green colour

Word History and Origins

Origin of pistachio¹

1375–1425; < Italian pistacchio < Latin pistācium < Greek pistákion pistachio nut, diminutive of pistákē pistachio tree < Middle Persian *pistak ( Persian pista ); replacing late Middle English pistace < Middle French < Latin, as above

Word History and Origins

Origin of pistachio¹

C16: via Italian and Latin from Greek pistakion pistachio nut, from pistakē pistachio tree, from Persian pistah

Example Sentences

Toasted pistachios on top wouldn’t hurt either — for crunch, for richness, for the way they catch the light.

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Hand-crafted from a range of materials, including ceramic and pistachio shells, the teapots reinterpret a classic household item with an “Alice in Wonderland” charm.

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And ever since Yelp put star ratings in our pockets, everyone’s been performing as a food critic, one pistachio croissant at a time.

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Crunchy and smooth shrimp croquettes, bright and flaky Basque ham and asparagus tarts, briny confit tuna and conserved-tomato toast, crisp then juicy, and pistachio white chocolate mousse.

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In addition to tomatoes and cotton, the area’s farms produce crops such as safflower, alfalfa and pistachios, some of which ended up underwater during the flooding two years ago.

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