soybean

especially British, soy·a bean

[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

In a University of California, Riverside experiment, most mice fed a high-fat diet rich in soybean oil put on substantial weight.

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Meanwhile, there’s nowhere to store the mountains of soybeans.

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It is made by breaking down soybeans and chemically modifying them to create something not found in nature.

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A person close to the White House said the call was about trade, adding that Washington is concerned over China’s delaying implementation of its promised soybean purchases.

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"Corn and soybeans make up much of the feed for turkeys and other livestock. When those crops cost more to grow, the price per pound of turkey goes up."

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