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

Cohen, who plays bullied employee Otis, conjured up his character’s love for peanut M&M’s, while Temple, who plays the girlfriend of one of Manchester’s friends, saw her character as a hairdresser.

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He chased peanut butter-and-banana toast with coffee, two Tylenol and three Ibuprofen.

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“The amount of loss in this case is small peanuts, period,” said Gene Rossi, a former federal prosecutor in eastern Virginia.

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The cooperator said they were “prepared with peanut butter” when they encountered a small chihuahua, Del Rio testified.

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And, barring a stunning comeback, McIlroy will have the best possible response to the peanut gallery: for the second time in his career, he’ll have won the Ryder Cup on American turf.

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Related Words

• groundnut