pecan
/piːˈkɑːn/ noun
Forms pecans paccan peccan
- noun A deciduous tree, Carya illinoinensis, of the central and southern United States, having deeply furrowed bark, pinnately compound leaves, and edible nuts.
- noun A smooth, thin-shelled, edible oval nut of this tree.
- noun A half of the edible portion of the inside of this nut.
Synonyms
Etymology
Borrowed from French pacane and at first spelt paccan. The French word derives from an Algonquian word, perhaps Miami (Illinois) pakani. Compare Cree pakan (“hard nut”), Ojibwe bagaan, Abenaki pagann, bagôn, pagôn (“nut; walnut, hazelnut”).
Webster’s 1913
- noun A species of hickory (Carya olivæformis), growing in North America, chiefly in the Mississippi valley and in Texas, where it is one of the largest of forest trees; also, its fruit, a smooth, oblong nut, an inch or an inch and a half long, with a thin shell and well-flavored meat. [Written also pacane.]
Etymology [Cf. F. pacane the nut.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “pecan”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details