- the white walnut tree (Juglans cinerea) of E North America, with compound leaves and hard-shell nuts
- its wood, often used in place of the heavier black walnut
- its oily edible nut
- the souari nut
Origin of butternut
from the soldiers' homespun clothing, dyed brown with butternut bark dyeSlang a soldier or supporter of the Confederacy
butternut
but·ter·nutWebster's New World College Dictionary, Fifth Edition Copyright © 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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"butternut." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 18 December 2018. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/butternut>.
APA Style
butternut. (n.d.). Retrieved December 18th, 2018, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/butternut
butternut
noun
- a. An eastern North American walnut (Juglans cinerea) having light-brown wood, pinnately compound leaves, and a deeply furrowed nut enclosed in an egg-shaped, sticky, aromatic husk. Also called white walnut .b. The nut of this tree, having an edible sweet kernel.c. The wood of this tree, used for furniture, boxes, and interior finishes.d. The bark of this tree.e. A brownish dye obtained from the husks of the fruits of this tree.
- a. butternuts Clothing dyed with butternut extract, especially the uniforms of Confederate soldiers in the Civil War.b. Informal A Confederate soldier or partisan in the Civil War.
- See souari nut.
Origin of butternut
From the nut's oilinessTHE AMERICAN HERITAGE® DICTIONARY OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE, FIFTH EDITION by the Editors of the American Heritage Dictionaries. Copyright © 2016, 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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Cite this page
MLA Style
"butternut." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 18 December 2018. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/butternut>.
APA Style
butternut. (n.d.). Retrieved December 18th, 2018, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/butternut
Noun
(plural butternuts)
Noun
(plural Butternuts)
- (US, obsolete) A Confederate Southerner, or somebody who supported southern rights and slavery [19th c.]
Origin
After the color of the Confederate uniform.
English Wiktionary. Available under CC-BY-SA license.
Link to this page
Cite this page
MLA Style
"butternut." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 18 December 2018. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/butternut>.
APA Style
butternut. (n.d.). Retrieved December 18th, 2018, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/butternut
