Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A deciduous tree (Pistacia vera) of central and western Asia, having pinnately compound leaves and dry, drupaceous, nutlike fruits.
  • noun The nutlike fruit of this tree, having an edible, oily, green or yellow kernel.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun Same as pistachio-nut.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun (Bot.) The nut of the Pistacia vera, a tree of the order Anacardiaceæ, containing a kernel of a pale greenish color, which has a pleasant taste, resembling that of the almond, and yields an oil of agreeable taste and odor; -- called also pistachio nut. It is wholesome and nutritive. The tree grows in Arabia, Persia, Syria, and Sicily.
  • noun The small anacardiaceous tree (Pistacia vera), of southern Europe and Asia Minor, which bears the pistachio nut. Called also pistache.
  • noun (Cookery) The flavor of the pistachio nut, or an ice or confection flavored with it.
  • noun Pistachio green.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun A deciduous tree, Pistacia vera, grown in parts of Asia for its drupaceous fruit
  • noun The nutlike fruit of this tree

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

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

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Ultimately (partly via Middle French pistache) from Italian pistacchio, from Latin pistacium, pistachio nut, from Greek pistakion, from pistakē, pistachio tree, of Iranian origin; akin to Middle Persian pistag.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Italian pistacchio, from Latin pistacium ("pistachio"), from Ancient Greek πιστάκιον (pistakion), from πιστάκη (pistakē, "pistachio tree"), of Iranian origin; compare Kurdish pisteq, Persian پسته (pista), Middle Persian 𐭯𐭮𐭲𐭪 (pistag, "pistachio nut"), Old Armenian պիստակ (pistak) (from Iranian).

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Examples

  • A spear of manchego, chorizo and a dot of quince paste coated in pistachio crumbs has the tongue doing somersaults with its sweet, salty and spicy notes.

    Tom Sietsema on Estadio: The reign of Spain continues in Washington with a welcome newcomer Tom Sietsema 2010

  • We steal around another bend where gray rock walls give way to a slew of multicolored facades in pistachio green, custard yellow and rum raisin red -- village homes crammed together in rows like so many colorful LifeSaver candies in a pack.

    Escapade 2010

  • We steal around another bend where gray rock walls give way to a slew of multicolored facades in pistachio green, custard yellow and rum raisin red -- village homes crammed together in rows like so many colorful LifeSaver candies in a pack.

    French Word-A-Day: 2005

  • We steal around another bend where gray rock walls give way to a slew of multicolored facades in pistachio green, custard yellow and rum raisin red -- village homes crammed together in rows like so many colorful LifeSaver candies in a pack.

    voisin - French Word-A-Day 2005

  • We steal around another bend where gray rock walls give way to a slew of multicolored facades in pistachio green, custard yellow and rum raisin red -- village homes crammed together in rows like so many colorful LifeSaver candies in a pack.

    French Word-A-Day: 2005

  • I never thought much of their chocolate one, and the pistachio is just okay.

    Dear Ladurée Michele 2005

  • They were dressed in pistachio-coloured shirts and khaki shorts into which their huge bottoms were crammed so tightly that you could study every dimple.

    Orwell is funny 1997

  • They were dressed in pistachio-coloured shirts and khaki shorts into which their huge bottoms were crammed so tightly that you could study every dimple.

    The Road to Wigan Pier 1937

  • The list of recalled pistachio products associated with a California processing plant where salmonella was found continues to grow.

    FDA sets up database of recalled pistachio products 2009

  • The FDA's list of recalled pistachio products continues to grow.

    Pistachio products recalled from second Setton plant 2009

Comments

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  • The shell of the pistachio nut is naturally a beige colour, but it is sometimes dyed red or green in commercial pistachios. Originally the dye was applied by importers to hide stains on the shells caused when the nuts were picked by hand. However most pistachios are now picked by machine and the shells remain unstained, making dyeing unnecessary (except that some consumers have been led to expect coloured pistachios).

    _Wikipedia

    January 27, 2008