Soybean
/ˈsɔɪ.biːn/noun
A leguminous plant, Glycine max, cultivated for its edible beans and oil.
Did you know?English first borrowed soy from Japanese shōyu, meaning soy sauce, before applying it to the soybean itself.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient China
Chinese
dòu
“Bean or legume; the soybean was cultivated in China for thousands of years.”
Medieval Japanese
Japanese
shōyu
“Soy sauce, traditionally made by fermenting soybeans with grains and salt.”
17th Century
Japanese
shōyu
“The source of English soy, borrowed through European encounters with Japan and its cuisine.”
17th Century
English
soy
“Soy sauce; an English borrowing of Japanese shōyu.”
19th Century
English
soybean
“A compound of soy and bean, referring to the plant producing the beans used to make soy sauce and other foods.”
Modern English
English
soybean
“The soybean plant or its edible seed, widely used for food, oil, and animal feed.”