peanut
- 01 A1 Beginner
n.a small, oval seed that grows in a shell underground and is eaten as a snack.
n.the edible seed of a South American legume, typically roasted or salted for consumption.
Simple“She bought a bag of salted peanuts to eat during the movie.”
In context“The chef added crushed peanuts to the satay sauce to provide a crunchy texture and a rich, earthy flavour profile.”
Synonymsgroundnutmonkey nut - 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.a very small or tiny amount of money, especially when paid for work.
n.a trivial or insignificant sum of money, often used in the plural to describe inadequate wages.
Simple“He quit his job because they were paying him peanuts for ten hours of work.”
In context“Despite the high level of technical skill required for the role, the startup was offering peanuts compared to the industry standard salary.”
UsageAlmost always used in the plural form 'peanuts'.
- 03 C2 Proficiency
v.to pull someone's necktie so that the knot becomes very tight and difficult to undo.
v.to pull the narrow end of a person's necktie as a prank, causing the knot to tighten excessively.
Simple“The school bully tried to peanut my tie during the lunch break.”
In context“The headmaster banned the practice after several students had to have their expensive silk ties cut off because they had been peanutted so tightly.”
UsageThis is a transitive verb requiring a direct object.
From pea + nut, perhaps a folk etymology of pinda, pinder (still found in Southern US dialects).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.