pistachio

Estimated CEFR level: C2 — Proficiency

Estimated from word frequency; not an official CEFR classification.

Definition

  1. noun small tree of southern Europe and Asia Minor bearing small hard-shelled nuts
  2. noun nut of Mediterranean trees having an edible green kernel

Etymology

From Italian pistacchio (1590s), from Latin pistācium (“pistachio”), from Ancient Greek πιστάκιον (pistákion), from πιστάκη (pistákē, “pistachio tree”), of Iranian origin. Compare Middle English pistace (from Middle French pistace, pistache), Northern Kurdish pisteq, Persian پسته (peste), Middle Persian pstk' (pistag, “pistachio nut”), Old Armenian պիստակ (pistak) (from Iranian), Arabic فُسْتُق (fustuq), Turkish fıstık.

In classic literature

Synonyms

Pistacia vera, pistachio tree

A single word — an entire dictionary opens.

Type a word, a sentence, a book title, or a link to an English article. WordNet and the Classics answer.

Try

A library of classics · a vault of words · instant etymology & meaning

Continue reading