pistachio

noun pis·ta·chio \ pə-ˈsta-sh(ē-ˌ)ō , -ˈstä- \

|Updated on: 14 Jul 2018

Definition of pistachio

plural pistachios

: a small Asian tree (Pistacia vera) of the cashew family whose drupaceous fruit contains a greenish edible seed; also : its seed

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Recent Examples of pistachio from the Web

When the pistachios were gone, Wayne then jangled his car keys to lure in the little fellow.

— tom stienstra, SFChronicle.com, "At summer campsite, cute squirrels can go rogue," 9 July 2018
Pizza Dough 1 packet active dry yeast 2 cups all-purpose flour 3 tablespoons plus a bit more olive oil, divided 1 cup mozzarella cheese ½ tablespoon crushed pistachiosPour the warm water into a bowl.

— nancy miller, The Courier-Journal, "Ciao Ristorante is Italian food with the ultimate Sicilian twist," 3 July 2018
Ditch the mac salad for this citrus and avocado salad with orange water, a fragrant and refreshing hit of citrus and crunchy pistachios.

— catherine urban, Bon Appetit, "It’s Barbecue Season, So Your June Horoscope Comes with a BBQ Side for Every Sign," 1 June 2018
Whisk dry ingredients and pistachios together to combine in a medium bowl.

— Country Living, "Pistachio Drop Biscuits," 9 Mar. 2018
According to the California Department of Food and Agriculture, China was the number one destination for California pistachios in 2016, and the second-largest destination for California almonds.

— emily cadei, sacbee, "California farmers, politicians won't feel full impact of Trump tariff wars until fall," 15 June 2018
Elsewhere, scientists have planted a pistachio orchard where no self-respecting pistachio farmer would ever put a tree: in the middle of the Southern California desert near Coachella.

— nathanael johnson, WIRED, "Are Avocados Toast?," 24 May 2018
Sprinkle with pistachios and drizzle with tahini dressing.

— the good housekeeping test kitchen, Good Housekeeping, "Tahini-Lemon Quinoa with Asparagus Ribbons," 24 Apr. 2018
Scatter rice with carrots, pistachios, almonds, pomegranate and herbs.

— alison roman, The Cut, "Forget Engagement Chicken. Meet Breakup Steak.," 6 June 2018

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

Origin and Etymology of pistachio

Italian pistacchio, from Latin pistacium pistachio nut, from Greek pistakion, from pistakē pistachio tree, of Iranian origin; akin to Persian pistah pistachio tree

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1598

in the meaning defined above

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