Brazil nut

noun

Bra·​zil nut brə-ˈzil- How to pronounce Brazil nut (audio)
: a tall South American tree (Bertholletia excelsa of the family Lecythidaceae) that bears large globular capsules each containing several closely packed roughly triangular oily edible nuts
also : its nut

Examples of Brazil nut in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web And fattier nuts, like macadamia or Brazil nuts, will oxidize quicker than leaner almonds. Ali Francis, Bon Appétit, 12 Mar. 2024 Favorite Bath, Body and Home: Brazil Nut Body Butter The TikTok viral product is full of moisturizing ingredients like coconut oil, shea butter and Brazil nut seed oil. Sabrina Weiss, Peoplemag, 23 Jan. 2024 Of the nine major food allergens, two are nuts — specifically peanuts (technically a legume), and tree nuts, including almonds, Brazil nuts, cashews, hazelnuts, pecans, pistachios and walnuts. Becky Krystal, Washington Post, 28 Nov. 2023 These include cacao, Brazil nut, breadnut and Pará rubber trees, plus dozens of others. Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 6 Oct. 2023 For instance, the scientists also studied which trees were commonly found near earthworks and noted species that include the Brazil nut (Bertholletia excelsa) and the breadnut (Brosimum alicastrum). Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 5 Oct. 2023 The Brazil nut is called castanha do Pará (from the state of Pará in the north of Brazil), although it was first described by Alexander von Humboldt way north of Pará state, between Guiana and Venezuela. Élide Valarini Oliver, The New York Review of Books, 23 Mar. 2023 Our relatives have nowhere to fish, the Brazil nut trees were cut down. Devika Rao, The Week, 16 Aug. 2023 Riverine community stalls sold native honey, Brazil nuts, and cassava flour. Dabid Biller and Fabiano Maisonnave, The Christian Science Monitor, 8 Aug. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'Brazil nut.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Brazil, South America

First Known Use

1808, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of Brazil nut was in 1808

Dictionary Entries Near Brazil nut

Cite this Entry

“Brazil nut.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Brazil%20nut. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

Brazil nut

noun
Bra·​zil nut brə-ˌzil- How to pronounce Brazil nut (audio)
: a large 3-sided oily edible nut that occurs packed inside the round fruit of a tall tree of tropical South America

More from Merriam-Webster on Brazil nut

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