pecan
Other forms: pecans
A pecan is a tree that grows nuts also known as pecans. These hard-shelled nuts are similar to walnuts and used for sweet treats like praline candy and pecan pie.
Pecan comes from an Algonquian word that means "nut that takes a stone to crack." It takes some work to break open a pecan, but it's well worth the effort. There are at least three "correct" ways to pronounce this word, so your best bet is to pick your favorite and stick with it. Pecan wood is used to make furniture and for smoking meats, and four U.S. states claim the pecan as their official state nut.
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tree of southern United States and Mexico cultivated for its nutssynonyms: Carya illinoensis, Carya illinoinsis, pecan treetype of:nut treetree bearing edible nuts
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wood of a pecan treetype of:woodthe hard fibrous lignified substance under the bark of trees
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smooth brown oval nut of south central United Statestype of:edible nuta hard-shelled seed consisting of an edible kernel or meat enclosed in a woody or leathery shell
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Vocabulary lists containing pecan
Here are 15 common English words whose roots come from indigenous languages of the Americas. The fate of the people who spoke these languages varies greatly, from tribes lost to history (that we only know about through records of other tribes) to the Guarani, whose language at last count had over 4 million speakers in Paraguay. All of these peoples, whatever their current status, have contributed their ideas and their perspectives through the English words below. Many of these terms have to do with animals and foods to be found in nature, but the Algonquian roots of "tuxedo" may come as a surprise! Read on below for tales of many more English words from indigenous sources.
