pecan

noun

pe·can | \ pi-ˈkän

How to pronounce pecan (audio)

, -ˈkan

How to pronounce pecan (audio)

; ˈpē-ˌkan

How to pronounce pecan (audio)

\

Definition of pecan

1 : a large hickory (Carya illinoinensis synonym C. illinoensis) that has roughish bark and hard but brittle wood and is widely grown in the warmer parts of the U.S. and in Mexico for its edible nut

2 : the wood of the pecan tree The hardwood floor was made of pecan.

3 : the smooth oblong thin-shelled nut of the pecan tree bought some pecans to make a pie

Examples of pecan in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Toast pecans and oats on a baking sheet until golden and fragrant, 10 to 12 minutes; cool. — Dawn Perry, Country Living, "Pumpkin Pie with Oat-Pecan Crust," 13 Oct. 2015 Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture in 3 parts, alternating with buttermilk, beating until smooth; beat in molasses mixture, then stir in pecans. — Woman's Day Test Kitchen, Woman's Day, "Thanksgiving Cake," 24 Oct. 2018 Place remaining 1 cup sugar in food processor with pecans, blend until fine. — Debbi Snook, cleveland.com, "Andy Newman's richly nutted Chocolate Chip Cookies (recipe)," 4 Apr. 2018 Inside lies butternut squash; outside, an earthy, wintry dice of roasted duck hearts and buttery pecans. — Alison Cook, Houston Chronicle, "Eat This: Tagliatelle alla Bolognese at Giacomo's," 23 Jan. 2018 Florida lost $9 million in vegetables and melons, $4 million in fruits and $3 million in tree nuts, including pecans. — Jeff Martin, The Seattle Times, "Farmers fear it will take years to recover from storm strike," 30 Oct. 2018 Spread pecans in even layer in pie shell, then pour sugar mixture over them. — The Good Housekeeping Test Kitchen, Good Housekeeping, "Brown Sugar Pecan Pie," 23 Oct. 2018 Georgia pecans are incredibly popular overseas, with approximately half of Georgia’s production being exported to China, said R.G. Lamar, who operates Lamar Pecan Company, one of the largest pecan farms in Georgia. — Alex Soderstrom, ajc, "Georgia farmers face uncertainty as crop tariffs loom," 25 June 2018 Sprinkle with graham crackers, pecans, and lemon zest. — Kate Merker And Talyor Murray, Country Living, "Gingerbread Cheesecake With Pecan-Graham Crust," 7 Dec. 2018

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

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Dictionary Entries near pecan

pecan carpenter worm

pecan nut casebearer

Statistics for pecan

Last Updated

17 Mar 2019

Look-up Popularity

Time Traveler for pecan

The first known use of pecan was in 1761

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More Definitions for pecan

pecan

noun

English Language Learners Definition of pecan

: a nut that grows on a tall tree in the United States and Mexico and that can be eaten

See the full definition for pecan in the English Language Learners Dictionary

pecan

noun

pe·can | \ pi-ˈkän

, -ˈkan; ˈpē-ˌkan\

Kids Definition of pecan

: an oval edible nut related to the walnut that usually has a thin shell and is the fruit of a tall tree of the central and southern United States

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