piñon

See also: pinon and piñón

English

Alternative forms

• pinon, pinyon

Etymology

From Spanish piñón.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈpɪnjən/
• Rhymes: -ɪnjən
• Homophone: pinion

Noun

piñon (countable and uncountable, plural piñons or piñones)

1. (uncountable, countable) Any of several species of North American pines in Pinus subsect. Cembroides that bear edible seeds (pine nuts), especially Pinus edulis; the nut pine.

   They planted a few piñons.

   The hills were covered with clusters of piñon.

   • 1895, J[ohn] W[esley] Powell, chapter I, in Canyons of the Colorado, Meadville, PA: Flood & Vincent; republished as The Exploration of the Colorado River and Its Canyons, New York: Dover, 1961, →ISBN, →OCLC, page 22:

     On the mountains a few junipers and piñons are found, and cactuses, agave, and yuccas, low, fleshy plants with bayonets and thorns.

   • 1994, Stewart Brand, How Buildings Learn: What Happens After They’re Built, New York: Viking, →ISBN, page 146:

     Anglos call it a “kiva fireplace” and put several in every Santa Fe style building, carefully burning piñon firewood upright in the approved local manner.

2. (countable, uncountable) A pine nut.

Synonyms

• (North American pines): piñon pine

Translations

piñon pine — see piñon pine

pine nut — see pine nut

Anagrams

• ninpo, ninpō