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
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
Amber Brenza, Health, 15 June 2025
Brewed for the recent Firestone Walker Invitational Beer Festival, Gloop was aged in a bourbon barrel, then transferred into a second barrel packed with peanut brittle.
—Peter Rowe, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 June 2025
Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images There are nine major allergens, including soybeans, wheat, sesame, milk, eggs, fish, crustacean shellfish, tree nuts and peanuts.
—Marni Rose McFall, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 June 2025
Other creations, such as the tuna tostada with charred avocado, peanut, and nori, connect to Mexico’s melting pot of cultures, in this instance the Japanese influence on Baja California’s cuisine.
—Jeremy Repanich, Robb Report, 10 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for peanut
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Noun
The recall was issued due to a potential peanut allergen, though follow-up testing found no contamination.
—Amber Brenza, Health, 15 June 2025
Brewed for the recent Firestone Walker Invitational Beer Festival, Gloop was aged in a bourbon barrel, then transferred into a second barrel packed with peanut brittle.
—Peter Rowe, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 June 2025
Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images There are nine major allergens, including soybeans, wheat, sesame, milk, eggs, fish, crustacean shellfish, tree nuts and peanuts.
—Marni Rose McFall, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 June 2025
Other creations, such as the tuna tostada with charred avocado, peanut, and nori, connect to Mexico’s melting pot of cultures, in this instance the Japanese influence on Baja California’s cuisine.
—Jeremy Repanich, Robb Report, 10 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for peanut
Cite this Entry
“Peanut.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/peanut. Accessed 19 Jun. 2025.
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