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

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
This doesn't just apply to the Heinz ketchups and JIF peanut butters of the world—

— alyse whitney, Bon Appetit, "All the Food at This Company Will Be $3 or Less," 11 July 2017
Her favorite is the black bean dip with fried haloumi cheese balls and sweet potato flatbread; other options include chicken nugget lettuce wraps; pork belly kimchi tacos; spicy-sweet nori peanuts; and a mini BLT.

— dana mcmahan, The Courier-Journal, "Two years after rocky start, Lydia House evolves as Germantown institution," 10 July 2017
Despite their diminutive scale, peanuts play an outsized role in American culture.

— nicola twilley, The Atlantic, "The Peril and Promise of Peanut Butter," 23 June 2017
Only two plants in the world—the peanut and the ____________—produce their fruit underground after flowering out in the open.

— rosa inocencio smith, The Atlantic, "The Atlantic Daily: Presidential Legitimacy and Preexisting Conditions," 23 June 2017
At JuneBaby, peanuts and whole, charred okra team up memorably in a smoky, spicy vinaigrette.

— providence cicero, The Seattle Times, "At JuneBaby, star chef Edouardo Jordan returns to his Southern roots," 22 June 2017
Then there’s something called the Peanut Butter and Jellousy, a burger topped with bacon, which seems ordinary enough, until the peanut butter and jelly kick in.

— matthew martinez, star-telegram.com, "Wrap yourself in bacon and gluttony at Dallas’ newest burger bastion, Slater’s 50/50," 16 June 2017
Old-school drinkers who prefer simple stouts and ales will tell you that a peanut-butter IPA with hints of chocolate is the bane of modern brewing.

— benjamin shull, WSJ, "Liquid Time Capsules," 15 June 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 pea·nut

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

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
In one, Batang — a female orangutan — is seen teaching her young one, Redd, to use hay to get peanut butter out of a toy.

— dana hedgpeth, Washington Post, "Cuteness galore: National Zoo airs videos of baby animals with their moms," 10 May 2017
Among peanut avoiders, 14 percent had become allergic, and 35 percent of those at highest risk.

— lauran neergaard, Orange County Register, "New advice to parents: Peanuts in baby’s diet can prevent scary allergy," 5 Jan. 2017

First Known Use of peanut

1836

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

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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)