peanut

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noun pea·nut \ ˈpē-(ˌ)nət \

Definition of peanut

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 usually made of polystyrene foam that is used especially as packing material

See peanut defined for English-language learners

See peanut defined for kids

Examples of peanut in a Sentence

Five billion dollars is peanuts compared to what the government spends each year.
He works all day for peanuts.

Recent Examples of peanut from the Web

Black raspberry chip, blueberry pie, peanut butter, beets, bacon, key lime, chocolate, pickle.

— bob strickley, Cincinnati.com, "There's food in my beer and it's supposed to be there," 29 Aug. 2017
Allergy sufferers know the drill: eyes that itch and water; sneezes that won’t stop; the fear that a hidden morsel of peanut will trigger a life-or-death crisis.

— sandi doughton, miamiherald, "An allergy solution?," 15 Aug. 2017
Spray cheese, whipped cream. Heaping spoonfuls of peanut butter.

— lindsay hunter, Longreads, "You Are a Jigsaw Puzzle with Missing Food-Shaped Pieces," 15 Aug. 2017
Similar to food allergies, Type 1 diabetes is an immune disorder — a disease in which the immune system misidentifies a harmless or even necessary agent (whether ingested peanuts or insulin-making cells in the pancreas) as a threat.

— melissa healy, The Seattle Times, "Study finds immunotherapy may prevent Type 1 diabetes," 9 Aug. 2017
If someone didn't like meal of the day, Phares said alternatives such as bagels and peanut butter always were available.

— suzanne baker, Naperville Sun, "Scouts dive into undersea adventure," 8 Aug. 2017
Some of Julia Turshen's favorite pesto combinations are pistachios and mint; walnuts, pine nuts, flat-leaf parsley and basil; and peanuts with cilantro.

— julia turshen, chicagotribune.com, "The secret to cooking with your favorite summer produce: Keep it simple.," 2 Aug. 2017
There’s an avocado-peanut pie for dessert: 248 West 55th Street, 646-590-2034, vidaverdeny.com.

— florence fabricant, New York Times, "London-Based Burger & Lobster Opens 2nd Manhattan Outpost," 18 July 2017
The smaller, closet-sized room is filled with canned beans, canned fruit, instant oatmeal, peanut butter, granola bars and Cup Noodles.

— priscella vega, Glendale News-Press, "To stay nourished, Glendale College students turn to Food for Thought Pantry," 13 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'peanut.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of peanut

1802

peanut

adjective

Definition of peanut

:insignificant, petty

peanut politics

Examples of peanut in a Sentence

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

Recent Examples of peanut from the Web

My preferred food for a hurricane was to buy peanut butter and jelly and make endless sandwiches.

— ajc homepage, ajc, "Covering a hurricane – don’t forget the aftermath of the storm," 25 Aug. 2017
A CEO’s personal assistants prove extra-valuable: One client drinks only O’Douls and has frequent hankerings for crunchy peanut butter; others might like their entire minibar stocked with a particular beverage (think: Coke Zero).

— jaclyn gallucci, Fortune, "The Demanding Travel Habits of Super-Rich CEOs," 18 Aug. 2017
Here are the stages by color: light blonde, peanut butter, copper penny, milk chocolate.

— claire perez, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Roux tips: Cook longer for darker color, deeper flavor," 17 Aug. 2017
Inside a Chevron gas station, the bakery case has featured flavors such as sweet green tea, peanut butter cookie dough and Nerds.

— lauren delgado, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Fill 'er up: 4 eateries at Orlando-area gas stations," 17 Aug. 2017
While at the time the PB and J was not a food of the masses yet, Joseph Rosefield turned peanut oil into a saturated fat in 1922.

— spoon u, Teen Vogue, "The History of Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwiches," 21 July 2017
The Cavaliers are also considering transgender bathrooms and services for those with peanut allergies.

— jon swartz, USA TODAY, "Amid frenzy at NBA Finals, a room for the sensory-sensitive," 10 June 2017
Available in white, chocolate and a variety of flavors such as strawberry, orange cream, banana, root beer, cookies and cream, peanut butter cup and others.

— joan rusek, cleveland.com, "Veterans Day celebrations are on tap: Valley Views," 15 May 2017
They can be panfried in hot cooking oil (usually vegetable or peanut oil), about 1/2 inch deep, or deep-fried, with the oil heated to 375°F.

— dan rodricks, baltimoresun.com, "The care and handling of crab cakes," 12 May 2017

First Known Use of peanut

1836

peanut Synonyms

Synonyms

chicken, de minimis, footling, inconsequential, inconsiderable, insignificant, measly, Mickey Mouse, minute, niggling, no-account, nominal, paltry, negligible, petty, picayune, piddling, piddly, piffling, pimping, slight, trifling, trivial

Antonyms

big, consequential, considerable, important, material, significant

Related Words

inferior, mean; imperceptible, inappreciable; little, puny, tiny; hairsplitting, nitpicking, pettifogging, quibbling; one-horse, small-fry, two-bit

Near Antonyms

serious, substantial, weighty; eventful, momentous, pivotal; conspicuous, noteworthy, outstanding, prominent, remarkable, striking; appreciable, discernible (also discernable), measurable

PEANUT Defined for English Language Learners

peanut

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noun

Definition of peanut for English Language Learners

: a nut with a thin shell that grows under the ground and that can be eaten
peanuts : a very small amount of money

PEANUT Defined for Kids

peanut

play

noun pea·nut \ ˈpē-ˌnət \

Definition of peanut for Students

:a nutlike edible seed related to the pea that comes from the tough underground pods of a widely grown plant and that are eaten whole or crushed to form a spread ( peanut butter ) or produce oil for cooking ( peanut oil )