ground-nut
Definition
- Noun:
- A plant of the pea family: "ground-nut" refers to a climbing plant (genus Apios) that produces edible tubers, also known as the potato bean or Indian potato.
- The edible tuber of this plant: The tuber itself, which is used as a food source, often resembling a small potato or nut.
- A legume: In some contexts, "ground-nut" can refer to the peanut (Arachis hypogaea), which is a legume that grows underground.
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- The ground-nut was a staple food for many Native American tribes. (The edible tuber of the Apios plant.)
- She harvested ground-nuts from the garden to use in a stew. (The tubers themselves.)
- In some regions, ground-nut is another name for the peanut. (The legume Arachis hypogaea.)
Advanced Usage
"to dig for ground-nuts": to search for or harvest the tubers of the ground-nut plant.
- The children learned to dig for ground-nuts in the forest. (They searched for and collected the edible tubers.)
"ground-nut oil": oil extracted from the seeds or tubers of ground-nut plants, sometimes used in cooking.
- Ground-nut oil is popular in some traditional cuisines. (Oil derived from ground-nut plants.)
Variants and Related Words
Groundnut (n): an alternative spelling of "ground-nut," used interchangeably.
- Groundnut soup is a common dish in West Africa. (A soup made with groundnuts, often peanuts.)
Ground-nut vine (n): the climbing plant that produces ground-nut tubers.
- The ground-nut vine grows well in moist, wooded areas. (The plant itself.)
Synonyms
- Potato bean: a common name for the plant and its tubers.
- Indian potato: another term for the edible tuber of the ground-nut plant.
- Peanut: in some dialects, "ground-nut" is synonymous with peanut.
Related Idioms
Not worth a ground-nut: an idiom meaning something of very little value.
- His advice is not worth a ground-nut. (His advice is worthless.)
To sell for a ground-nut: to sell something at a very low price.
- He sold his old bicycle for a ground-nut. (He sold it for almost nothing.)