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variants
or chiefly British soya bean
: a hairy annual Asian legume (Glycine max) widely grown for its oil-rich proteinaceous seeds and for forage and soil improvement
also
: its seed
Examples of soybean in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
But the ones at the center of this controversy are the eight that are most commonly used in cooking and industrial food production: canola, corn, cottonseed, soybean, sunflower, safflower, grapeseed, and rice bran oils.
—Erica Sloan, SELF, 13 Jan. 2025
Back then, countries hit back with tariffs that would hurt red-state economies, like soybeans or bourbon whiskey.
—Neil Irwin, Axios, 13 Jan. 2025
Bunge Global is one of the world’s largest traders and processors of grains and oilseeds, such as soybeans, corn, wheat and sunflower seeds.
—Michael Khouw, CNBC, 2 Jan. 2025
Wheat, rice, and soybeans—staples for billions—have seen reductions in nutrient density of up to 10% compared to crops grown decades ago.
—Dianne Plummer, Forbes, 31 Dec. 2024
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Word History
First Known Use
1795, in the meaning defined above
Phrases Containing soybean
Dictionary Entries Near soybean
Cite this Entry
“Soybean.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/soybean. Accessed 23 Jan. 2025.
Kids Definition
soybean
noun
soy·bean
ˈsȯi-ˈbēn
-ˌbēn
: a hairy annual Asian plant of the legume family widely grown for its edible seeds rich in oil and proteins, as food for livestock, and for soil improvement
also
: its seed
Medical Definition
soybean
noun
soy·bean
ˈsȯi-ˌbēn
variants
also soya bean
: a hairy annual Asian legume (Glycine max) grown for its oil-rich proteinaceous seeds and for forage and soil improvement
also
: its seed
More from Merriam-Webster on soybean
Nglish: Translation of soybean for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of soybean for Arabic Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about soybean
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