butternut

but·ter·nut

noun \-ˌnət\

Definition of BUTTERNUT

1

: an eastern North American tree (Juglans cinerea) of the walnut family with sweet egg-shaped nuts and light brown wood —called also white walnut

2

a : a light yellowish brown

b plural : homespun overalls dyed brown with a butternut extract

c : a soldier or partisan of the Confederacy during the American Civil War

First Known Use of BUTTERNUT

1741

Rhymes with BUTTERNUT

betel nut, coconut, congregate, hazelnut, intercut, Lilliput, occiput, overcut, scuttlebutt, undercut, uppercut

butternut

noun    (Concise Encyclopedia)

Deciduous nut-producing tree (Juglans cinerea) of the walnut family, native to eastern North America. A mature tree has gray, deeply furrowed bark. Each leaf has 11–17 yellowish green leaflets that are hairy underneath. Chocolate-coloured partitions divide the pith of the twig into many chambers. The egg-shaped fruit has a sticky, greenish brown husk. The hard, woody nut bears many ridges and contains a sweet, oily seed. The tree is economically important for its edible nuts and for a yellow or orange dye obtained from the fruit husks. Some substances in the inner bark of the roots are used in medicines.