pistachio

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

/ pɪˈstæʃ iˌoʊ, -ˈstɑ ʃiˌoʊ /

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noun, plural pis·tach·i·os.

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

the kernel itself, used for flavoring.

the tree itself.

pistachio nut flavor.

pistachio green.

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Also pis·tache

[pi-stash], /pɪˈstæʃ/, pistachio nut (for defs. 1, 2).

Origin of pistachio

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

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use pistachio in a sentence

Stand small green flags among your candies and olives, and have pistache nuts among the salted almonds.
Gala Day Luncheons|Caroline Benedict Burrell
Or, if the cream must be home-made, you may have it of the pistache and serve it in a bed of whipped cream in rounded spoonfuls.
Gala Day Luncheons|Caroline Benedict Burrell
The dessert was apparently a bomb of frozen coffee, but the center revealed a delicious creamy substance flaked with pistache.
The Happy End|Joseph Hergesheimer
This picture gives you some idea of the yield of the pistache.
Northern Nut Growers Association Report of the Proceedings at the Eleventh Annual Meeting|Various

Green vegetables and salads are easy to obtain and ice cream may be colored with pistache.
Home Occupations for Boys and Girls|Bertha Johnston

British Dictionary definitions for pistachio

pistachio

/ (pɪˈstɑːʃɪˌəʊ) /

noun plural -os

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

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

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

adjective

of a yellowish-green colour

Word Origin for pistachio

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

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012