pecan

noun

pe·​can pi-ˈkän  -ˈkan  ˈpē-ˌkan 

1

: a large hickory (Carya illinoinensis synonym C. oliviformis) 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

Wood chips, nut (pecan) shells, and pine straw are good mulch choices. —Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 25 June 2025

Each flavor is better than the next- bourbon pecan peanut butter, chocolate sea salt almond butter, cashew butter with coconut nectar, and my favorite- the carrot cake almond and walnut butter, crafted with the highest quality nuts, maple syrup, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and sea salt. —Shivani Vora, Forbes.com, 17 June 2025

Landry grew up on a pecan farm in Cecilia, Louisiana, not far from Opelousas. —Reya Hart, The Atlantic, 15 June 2025

End your meal on a sweet note with one of their fun desserts, like the butternut squash cheesecake, served with a healthy dollop of honey-orange pastry cream and crunchy pecan. —Tim Neville, Travel + Leisure, 15 June 2025

Word History

Etymology

American French pacane, from Illinois pakani

First Known Use

1761, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for pecan

• anton
• argon
• axon
• baronne
• baryon
• baton
• boron
• buisson
• bygone
• capon
• cardon
• chiffon

Kids Definition

pecan

noun

pe·​can pi-ˈkän  -ˈkan 

: an oblong edible nut that usually has a thin shell and is the fruit of a tall tree of the central and southern U.S.

also : this tree which is one of the hickories