pistachio

Meaning

Noun

• A deciduous tree (Pistacia vera) grown in parts of Asia for its drupaceous fruit.
• The nutlike fruit of this tree.
• A pale green colour, like that of a pistachio seed.

Origin

• From Italian pistacchio (1590s), from Latin pistācium ("pistachio"), from Ancient Greek πιστάκιον, from πιστάκη. Of Iranian origin. Compare Northern Kurdish pisteq, Persian پسته, Middle Persian pstk' ("pistachio nut"), Old Armenian պիստակ (from Iranian), Arabic فستق, Turkish fıstık.