soybean

noun

soy·​bean ˈsȯi-ˌbēn 

variants or chiefly British soya bean

ˈsȯi-ə- 

: 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

Examples of soybean in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The decline is due to decreases in the average sales price of soybean products and the quantity of soybeans processed. —Quartz Bot, Quartz, 12 Nov. 2024

The eight others are soybeans, fish, crustacean shellfish, wheat, milk, eggs, peanuts and tree nuts. —Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2024

The beetles really like eating Michigan's newest aphid pest, the soybean aphid. —Jalen Williams, Detroit Free Press, 31 Oct. 2024

The debris field was approximately 1,800 feet long by approximately 300 feet at its widest point amid dense forest, cotton, and soybean fields. —Eleanor Watson, CBS News, 31 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1795, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing soybean

• soybean oil

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