peanut

1 of 2

noun

pea·​nut ˈpē-(ˌ)nət 

plural peanuts

1

: a low-branching widely cultivated annual herb (Arachis hypogaea) of the legume family with showy yellow flowers having a peduncle which elongates and bends into the soil where the ovary ripens into a pod containing one to three oily edible seeds

also : its seed or seed-containing pod

2

: an insignificant or tiny person

3

peanuts plural : a trifling amount

4

: a pellet made of a low-density lightweight material (such as polystyrene foam or corn starch) that is used especially as packing material

—usually plural

It's all part of the company's mission to be more sustainable. When your paint shows up at your door, you won't find it loaded with polystyrene peanuts.

—Nicole Conway

In the 1800s the acorns were used for packing (like Styrofoam peanuts) and ships would dump them overboard and they'd wash up on shore.

—Rich Eldred

Whenever you get plants in the mail, or other fragile things, they come packed with these foam peanuts.

—Peter Hotton

The bill would also ban the sale of polystyrene loose fill packaging, or packing peanuts.

—Samantha Maldonado

peanut

2 of 2

adjective

: insignificant, petty

peanut politics

Synonyms of peanut

Noun

• sprinkling
• splash
• shred
• speck
• glimmer
• little
• hint
• touch
• lick
• handful
• bit

Adjective

• nominal
• slight
• tiny
• chicken
• petty

Examples of peanut in a Sentence

Noun

Five billion dollars is peanuts compared to what the government spends each year.

He works all day for peanuts.

Adjective

this is a peanut matter, and we're fools for wasting time on it

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The cabbage wedge sits over a fluffy whip of tahini and labneh, all served beneath a crush of peanuts. — Jenn Harris, Los Angeles Times, 27 Aug. 2026

Hers includes a single shot of espresso, ultrafiltered skim milk, and peanut-cocoa powder. — Cathy Cassata, HEALTH, 26 Aug. 2026

Peanut butter, whether in a jar or in small individual pouches, is another excellent food item to keep in the storm shelter as long as nobody in your home has a peanut allergy. — Maria Sabella, Better Homes & Gardens, 25 Aug. 2026

Another common sign is rancidity, which occurs when the natural oils in the peanuts oxidize after prolonged exposure to air, light, or heat, Cutter says. — Olivia McIntosh, Martha Stewart, 22 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1802, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1836, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing peanut

• circus peanut
• peanut butter
• peanut gallery
• peanut oil

Rhymes for peanut

• caseinate
• selenate

Kids Definition

peanut

noun

pea·​nut

ˈpē-(ˌ)nət

1

: a plant of the legume family that has yellow flowers and is grown for its underground pods of oily nutlike edible seeds which yield peanut oil or are crushed to make peanut butter

also : this pod or one of the oily edible seeds it contains

2

plural : a very small amount