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

Some members of the Paraguayan Congress, citing farmers’ struggles to export soybeans and beef to China, have argued that the nation stands to benefit from a diplomatic flip in the long run. —CNN, 5 Dec. 2024

The retaliatory tariffs targeted key U.S. agricultural exports such as pork, soybeans and fruit juices, which hit U.S. farmers hard. —Sylvan Lane, The Hill, 28 Nov. 2024

The 1,402-acre ranch site offered by Buckingham is currently in agricultural use producing a range of goods including onions, grain, corn, cotton and soybeans according to the GLO press release published after its purchase in October. —Matt Robison, Newsweek, 21 Nov. 2024

During the first Trump administration, countries like China responded to Trump's tariffs by imposing retaliatory tariffs on U.S. exports such as the corn and soybeans routinely sold overseas. —Bill Barrow, arkansasonline.com, 24 Nov. 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