1
: a large hickory (Carya illinoinensis synonym C. oliviformis) that has roughish bark and hard but brittle wood and is widely grown in the warmer parts of the U.S. and in Mexico for its edible nut
2
: the wood of the pecan tree
The hardwood floor was made of pecan.
3
: the smooth oblong thin-shelled nut of the pecan tree
bought some pecans to make a pie

Examples of pecan in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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In South Carolina, vendors sell fresh watermelon, oranges and pecans behind a rural church near Blackville where people flock to collect water from two spigots in the ground. Jill Schweber, New York Times, 31 Dec. 2024 Gusty winds as high as 90 mph or more and torrential rains caused heavy damage to pecan, cotton and poultry farms and timber lands. Usa Today Graphics Team, USA TODAY, 31 Dec. 2024 These layer cookies include a dessert trifecta of pecan shortbread, homemade caramel, and chocolate ganache. Libby Monteith Minor, Southern Living, 29 Dec. 2024 California has not one but four official state nuts: the almond, the pecan, the pistachio, and the walnut. Casey Cep, The New Yorker, 28 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for pecan 

Word History

Etymology

American French pacane, from Illinois pakani

First Known Use

1761, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of pecan was in 1761

Dictionary Entries Near pecan

Cite this Entry

“Pecan.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pecan. Accessed 23 Jan. 2025.

Kids Definition

pecan

noun
pe·​can pi-ˈkän How to pronounce pecan (audio) -ˈkan How to pronounce pecan (audio)
: an oblong edible nut that usually has a thin shell and is the fruit of a tall tree of the central and southern U.S.
also : this tree which is one of the hickories

More from Merriam-Webster on pecan

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