pecans

Meanings

1. 1nounplural

   Smooth, oval, sweet-tasting nuts with a rich flavor, grown mainly in the southern United States and often used in desserts.

   Grammar: Plural of pecan; used as a countable plural: add a handful of pecans.

   Patterns

   • a handful of pecans
   • pecans in something

   She sprinkled chopped pecans over the warm cake.

   We bought a bag of roasted pecans at the market.

   Pecans cost more than peanuts, but they taste much richer.

2. 2nounplural

   The tall North American trees on which these nuts grow.

   Grammar: Plural of pecan in its tree sense, usually in farming or landscaping.

   Patterns

   • plant pecans

   Rows of pecans lined the farm road for miles.

   The orchard owner planted new pecans after the storm.

   Old pecans shaded the porch of the farmhouse.

Word forms

Common combinations

chopped pecans

Stir chopped pecans into the batter.

toasted pecans

The salad was topped with toasted pecans.

candied pecans

Candied pecans make a good snack.

pecan pie

My aunt brings a pecan pie every Thanksgiving.

shelled pecans

Shelled pecans keep best in the freezer.

Synonyms and how they differ

walnuts

Walnuts are a different nut with a stronger, slightly bitter taste, though cooks often swap them for pecans.

hazelnuts

Hazelnuts are rounder and harder, so they are not the same shape or flavor as pecans.

hickory nuts

Hickory nuts belong to a close relative of the pecan, but they are smaller and harder to crack.

Word family

pecan noun

one nut or the tree

pecan pie noun

a sweet pie filled with pecans

nut noun

the general category of edible seeds in a shell

Commonly confused: pecans or pecans and peanuts?

Practice

Make it your own

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