peanut

[pee-nuht, -nuh t]

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.

the plant itself.

any small or insignificant person or thing.

peanuts,

of or relating to the peanut or peanuts.

made with or from peanuts.

Informal. small, insignificant, or petty.

Origin of peanut

An Americanism dating back to 1790–1800; pea¹ + nut

Related formspea·nut·ty, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

A famous 1916 publication proclaimed: “How to Grow the Peanut and 105 Ways of Preparing it For Human Consumption.”
Growth Stocks
The Daily Beast
October 17, 2014
The following year, he testified before Congress about the U.S. peanut industry.
Growth Stocks
The Daily Beast
October 17, 2014
Titanic once bet a peanut vendor $10 he could throw a peanut across Times Square in New York.
Portrait of the Consummate Con Man
John Lardner
May 17, 2014
Soon Johnny Carson was having more fun with Cleveland and its mayor than a monkey with a peanut.
Three Strikes for Cleveland?
Mansfield Frazier
July 25, 2013
The media and peanut gallery missed that class and immediately cast them as “others.”
How The Media Chose Its Boston 'Suspects'
Maysoon Zayid
April 22, 2013

Did you ever notice how tiresome the whistle on a peanut roaster gets?
Common Science
Carleton W. Washburne
Why is the whistle of a peanut roaster so shrill, and why is the whistle of a boat so deep?
Common Science
Carleton W. Washburne
A camel is indistinguishable from a peanut—if only their humps be considered.
The Book of the Damned
Charles Fort
My lady, do you happen to have such a thing as a peanut in your pocket?
Prudy Keeping House
Sophie May
Before it dries, the peanut seed is easily injured by frost.
Agriculture for Beginners
Charles William Burkett

British Dictionary definitions for peanut

a leguminous plant, Arachis hypogaea, of tropical America: widely cultivated for its edible seeds. The seed pods are forced underground where they ripenSee also hog peanut
Also called: goober, goober pea, (Brit) groundnut, (Brit) monkey nutthe edible nutlike seed of this plant, used for food and as a source of oil