peanut

American  

[pee-nuht, -nuht] / ˈpiˌnʌt, -nət /

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.

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adjective

1. of or relating to the peanut or peanuts.

2. made with or from peanuts.

3. Informal. small, insignificant, or petty.

peanut British  

/ 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

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Other Word Forms

• peanutty
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of peanut

An Americanism dating back to 1790–1800; pea ¹ + nut

Explanation

A peanut is a plant that grows pods containing seeds that are also known as peanuts. You may think of peanuts as nuts, but they're actually legumes. Despite the deceptive name peanut, this plant is more closely related to peas than it is to almonds and hazelnuts. Peanuts are an important food crop around the world, in the form of oil, flour, peanut butter, and roasted, whole peanuts. Peanuts were originally called "ground nuts," and despite their popularity, they're also known for being inexpensive — thus peanuts also informally means "a very small amount of money."

Example Sentences

Peanut cannot smell, but caregivers say that limitation does not appear to be stopping him from adjusting to his new surroundings.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 7, 2026

According to research from InvestorsObserver, a shopper spending $20 on packages of Reese’s Peanut Butter Eggs at Target could buy five bags of the candy for $3.99 each in 2020.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026

Lieu’s recipe for Surprising Peanut Butter Cookies is a must-try for the holidays.

From Salon • Dec. 13, 2025

Each member audibly agrees, between bites of Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups and Doritos.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 9, 2025

Peanut butter crackers were bad for playing the blues harp, but they were okay after a day of anger and starvation.

From "Clayton Byrd Goes Underground" by Rita Williams-Garcia

Related Words

• groundnut