Meaning & use
pistachio
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Meanings
nouncountable
the small green nut of a tree, often eaten salted as a snack or used in cooking
Grammar: Countable: one pistachio, two pistachios. It can also be uncountable when talking about the flavor or substance.
Patterns
- a bag of pistachios
- pistachio ice cream
- shell pistachios
She bought a bag of salted pistachios at the market.
These cookies are made with ground pistachios and almond extract.
He sat at the bar, cracking pistachios and watching the game.
nouncountabletechnical
the tree that produces these nuts, originally from central and western Asia
Grammar: Countable when referring to individual trees: a pistachio, several pistachios.
Patterns
- grow pistachios
- a pistachio tree
- pistachio orchards
Pistachios grow well in hot, dry climates.
The valley is planted with pistachios and olives.
A mature pistachio can produce nuts for many years.
noununcountable
a pale green color like that of the nut
Grammar: Uncountable when used for the color: 'a dress in pistachio'.
Patterns
- pistachio green
- in pistachio
The kitchen walls were painted a soft pistachio.
She wore a silk scarf in pistachio and cream.
Word forms
| plural | pistachios |
|---|
Common combinations
- salted pistachios
- We snacked on salted pistachios before dinner.
- pistachio ice cream
- Pistachio ice cream is my favorite flavor.
- shelled pistachios
- The recipe calls for shelled pistachios.
- pistachio nuts
- He is allergic to pistachio nuts.
- a handful of pistachios
- She ate a handful of pistachios as a snack.
Synonyms and how they differ
- green almond
- Sometimes used for a similar-looking nut, but it is a different species and not a true synonym.
- nut
- A general word; pistachio is a specific type of nut.
Word family
- pistachio tree noun
- The tree that bears pistachios.
- pistachio green noun
- A pale green color like the nut.
Commonly confused: pistachio or peach?
pistachio vs peach
A peach is a soft, juicy fruit; a pistachio is a small hard nut. The words sound somewhat similar but are unrelated.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'pistachio' correctly as a countable noun?
Choose one answer.
The plural of 'pistachio' is 'pistachios' (add -s). 'Pistachioes' is a misspelling, 'pistachio' is singular, and 'pistachio's' is a possessive, not a plural.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “pistachio”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.