soybean

noun

soy·​bean ˈsȯi-ˌbēn 

variants or chiefly British soya bean

ˈsȯi-ə- 

: a hairy annual Asian legume (Glycine max) widely grown for its oil-rich proteinaceous seeds and for forage and soil improvement

also : its seed

Illustration of soybean

Examples of soybean in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

About 85 percent of the nation’s commodity crops — which include row crops like corn, soybeans and wheat — are insured, according to the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition, a nonprofit promoting environmentally friendly food production. —Patrick Cooley, New York Times, 27 Mar. 2024

Baltimore is also a niche port for the soybean trade, focusing mostly on high-value soy used in tofu, miso, tempeh and organic products, according to Mike Steenhoek, executive director of the Soy Transportation Coalition. —Laris Karklis, Washington Post, 27 Mar. 2024

The family-run business produces swine and grows crops including corn, soybeans and wheat on 18,000 acres in Henry, Tennessee. —Kate Gibson, CBS News, 6 Mar. 2024

In addition to rosemary oil, The Mane Choice’s formula has hydrating soybean, castor, coconut, and sunflower seed oils. —Macaela MacKenzie, Glamour, 27 Feb. 2024

The latest Agriculture Census shows Indiana retaining its role as a top producer in the U.S., and also reveals Hoosier farmers are growing a lot more than corn and soybeans. —The Indianapolis Star, 22 Feb. 2024

Snyder has lived on the same road his whole life, farming soybeans and corn together with his father, grandfather and brother. —Elizabeth Weise, USA TODAY, 4 Feb. 2024

Beef and soybean exports have bankrolled a construction boom, transforming the capital’s skyline, but destroying swaths of Paraguay’s biodiverse forests. —Laurence Blair, New York Times, 7 Mar. 2024

Robert Wayne Smith was helping unload soybeans in a bin while running a grain vacuum on March 4, according to a news release from the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office. —Jennifer Rodriguez, Kansas City Star, 6 Mar. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1795, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing soybean

• soybean oil

Kids Definition

soybean

noun

soy·​bean ˈsȯi-ˈbēn 

-ˌbēn

: a hairy annual Asian plant of the legume family widely grown for its edible seeds rich in oil and proteins, as food for livestock, and for soil improvement

also : its seed

Medical Definition

soybean

noun

soy·​bean ˈsȯi-ˌbēn 

variants also soya bean

: a hairy annual Asian legume (Glycine max) grown for its oil-rich proteinaceous seeds and for forage and soil improvement

also : its seed