soybean

[ soi-been ]

noun

1. a bushy Old World plant, Glycine max, of the legume family, cultivated globally, with greatest productivity in the United States, where it is grown chiefly for forage and soil improvement.
2. the seed of this plant, used for food, as a livestock feed, and for a variety of other commercial uses.

Word History and Origins

Origin of soybean¹

First recorded in 1795–1805; soy + bean

Example Sentences

Today, Brazil sends 30% of all exports to China, including 80% of its soybean crop and 60% of its iron ore.

From Time

For the most part, its techniques have been applied to commercial crops such as wheat, soybeans, and corn, grown in huge quantities and traded internationally.

From MIT Technology Review

It’s the same with soybeans, except we pick the beans from a three-foot section and send those samples directly to the lab.

From MIT Technology Review

In 2018 more than 900,000 tons of soybeans were exported from the East.

From ProPublica

When asked, the Republican couldn’t cite the break-even price of soybeans.

From Quartz

Artis just happened to live beside the soybean field where the 11-year-old was found.

From The Daily Beast

The soybean program is still underway, and is to end this year.

From The Daily Beast

The dogs have been fried in soybean oil until their exterior skin begins to develop a sensuous crunch.

From The Daily Beast

Nix a couple of soybean subsidies and we could have avoided war and just bought the damn country.

From The Daily Beast

But thanks to its patent, Monsanto controls an estimated 90 percent of the soybean market.

From The Daily Beast

While nearly all kinds of grain and vegetables are grown, the one great staple crop of Manchuria is the soybean.

From Project Gutenberg

These products are similar to soybean flour but are not so finely ground.

From Project Gutenberg

The cowpea trails on the ground, and carries its bacteria more successfully than the soybean.

From Project Gutenberg

In cool latitudes the soybean is recognized as distinctly more profitable, making larger yields of vines and of seed.

From Project Gutenberg

Probably the large yield of rich seed is the most important feature of the soybean crop.

From Project Gutenberg