pea·nut
ˈpē-(ˌ)nət 
plural peanuts
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 made of a low-density lightweight material (such as polystyrene foam or corn starch) that is used especially as packing material
—usually plural
It's all part of the company's mission to be more sustainable. When your paint shows up at your door, you won't find it loaded with polystyrene peanuts.—
Nicole Conway
Nicole ConwayIn the 1800s the acorns were used for packing (like Styrofoam peanuts) and ships would dump them overboard and they'd wash up on shore.—Rich Eldred
Rich EldredWhenever you get plants in the mail, or other fragile things, they come packed with these foam peanuts.—Peter Hotton
Peter HottonThe bill would also ban the sale of polystyrene loose fill packaging, or packing peanuts.—Samantha Maldonado
Samantha Maldonado
: insignificant, petty
peanut politics
Synonyms
Examples of peanut in a Sentence
Noun
Five billion dollars is peanuts compared to what the government spends each year.
He works all day for peanuts.
Adjective
this is a peanut matter, and we're fools for wasting time on it
Recent Examples on the Web
Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2024
In North Tustin, where Steve Lawrence’s Trump booth and Sandra Robbie’s Harris booth have been peacefully coexisting on the same corner for months, Robbie brought candy for all (Hershey’s Kisses, peanut and plain M&Ms, and Milky Way bars).
—Teri Sforza, Orange County Register, 5 Nov. 2024
Amanda Musa, CNN, 25 Feb. 2024
The donor liver itself can continue making the anti-peanut antibodies, the theory goes, causing the allergy.
—Jennifer Welsh, Discover Magazine, 19 Oct. 2010
See all Example Sentences for peanut 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Noun
The eight others are soybeans, fish, crustacean shellfish, wheat, milk, eggs, peanuts and tree nuts.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2024
In North Tustin, where Steve Lawrence’s Trump booth and Sandra Robbie’s Harris booth have been peacefully coexisting on the same corner for months, Robbie brought candy for all (Hershey’s Kisses, peanut and plain M&Ms, and Milky Way bars).
—Teri Sforza, Orange County Register, 5 Nov. 2024
Adjective
The foods used in the study were peanut, cashew, egg, milk, walnut, hazelnut and wheat, which are some of the most common allergens, Wood said.
—Amanda Musa, CNN, 25 Feb. 2024
The donor liver itself can continue making the anti-peanut antibodies, the theory goes, causing the allergy.
—Jennifer Welsh, Discover Magazine, 19 Oct. 2010
See all Example Sentences for peanut
Articles Related to peanut
Dictionary Entries Near peanut
Cite this Entry
“Peanut.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/peanut. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share