soybean

noun

soy·​bean ˈsȯi-ˌbēn How to pronounce soybean (audio)
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

Illustration of soybean

Illustration of soybean

Examples of soybean in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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 See all Example Sentences for soybean 

Word History

First Known Use

1795, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of soybean was in 1795

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 How to pronounce soybean (audio)
-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 How to pronounce soybean (audio)
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

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