soybean
soybean — noun
1. a small, round, pale-coloured seed that comes from a plant originally grown in E
a small, round, pale-coloured seed that comes from a plant originally grown in East Asia, used to make food products such as tofu, soy sauce, and soymilk, and also used in feed for farm animals.
Élise stirred soft tofu made from soybeans into her hot pot dinner.
collocation: tofu made from soybeans
Christopher bought a large bag of soybeans to feed his chickens.
Ritu soaked dried soybeans in water overnight before making soymilk.
Kwame sprinkled roasted soybeans over his lunch salad for extra protein.
The factory turns raw soybeans into cooking oil and animal feed.
用法筆記
The plural form 'soybeans' is very common when referring to the seeds as a food ingredient or crop. The singular form is often used in compound nouns such as 'soybean oil' or 'soybean paste'.
2. a tall, bushy plant originally from East Asia that produces pods containing soyb
a tall, bushy plant originally from East Asia that produces pods containing soybeans and is grown on farms for its seeds, oil, and ability to improve soil quality.
The soybean plants in Valentina's field grew over a metre tall.
attributive: soybean plants
Hao watched the soybean crop produce tiny purple flowers in late summer.
Farmers plant soybeans to add nitrogen back into the tired soil.
Ilan studied how dry weather affects the growth of young soybean plants.
The soybean crop on Joon's family farm was ready to harvest in October.
用法筆記
When referring to the plant itself, 'soybean' can be used as an attributive noun (e.g., 'soybean plant', 'soybean field') or as a countable noun meaning the whole crop (e.g., 'They grow soybeans in this region').