peanuts
peanuts Lexical Profile
peanuts Game Scores & Validity
• noun
The plural form of peanut; the edible, oil-rich seeds of a South American leguminous plant (Arachis hypogaea) that ripen underground inside woody, netted pods and are widely eaten roasted or ground into paste.
"The airline served small packets of salted peanuts to passengers during the flight."
A very small, paltry, or insignificant amount, especially of money.
"Early in her career, she worked long hours for peanuts just to gain industry experience."
Word Nuance & Usage
When used figuratively to mean a trifling or insignificant sum of money, 'peanuts' is always plural in form even though it may refer to a single payment or salary.
Word Origin & Etymology
Coined in the early 19th century as a compound of 'pea' (referencing its membership in the legume family Fabaceae) and 'nut' (referencing the culinary similarity of its roasted seeds to tree nuts); the informal sense of a trifling sum emerged in early 20th-century American slang.