| The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition. 2000. |
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| butternut |
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| SYLLABICATION: | but·ter·nut |
| PRONUNCIATION: |  b t  r-nt |
| NOUN: | 1a. An eastern North American walnut (Juglans cinerea) having light-brown wood, pinnately compound leaves, and a deeply furrowed nut enclosed in an egg-shaped, sticky, aromatic husk. Also called white walnut. b. The nut of this tree, having an edible sweet kernel. c. The wood of this tree, used for furniture, boxes, and interior finishes. d. The bark of this tree. e. A brownish dye obtained from the husks of the fruits of this tree. 2a. butternuts Clothing dyed with butternut extract, especially the uniforms of Confederate soldiers in the Civil War. b. Informal A Confederate soldier or partisan in the Civil War. 3. See souari nut. | | ETYMOLOGY: | From the nut's oiliness.
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| The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Copyright © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by the Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. |
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