pistachio
(pɪˈsteɪʃ(ɪ)əʊ, -ˈstɑːʃ(ɪ)əʊ, -ˈstætʃəʊ)
Forms: α. 5–7 pistace, 6 pystace, 7–8 pistach, 7– pistache. β. 6 pistaccio, 7 -acio, 7– pistachio, (9 -acchio); also (6 pistinachie), 7 pistachie, -acie, 8 -achee, 7– pistachia. γ. 7–8 pistacho.
[The α forms a. OF. pistace (13th c.) and F. pistache (pistaʃ); the β forms ad. It. pistacchio (pisˈtakkjo), some affected by L. pistacia, or by Spanish; the γ form a. Sp. pistacho (pisˈtatʃo); all from L. pistācium (med.L. pistāquium), a. Gr. πιστάκιον pistachio nut, f. πιστάκη pistacia-tree, from OPers.: cf. Pers. pistah. See also pistacia, pistack, pistick nut, fistic.
Cf. 1392–3 Earl Derby's Exp. (Camden) 219 Item pro ij lb. de pistaqiis, lvj s.]
1. a. The ‘nut’ or dry drupe of Pistacia vera (see b), or its edible kernel, of a greenish colour, eaten in Turkey, Greece, etc. (Also pistachio nut: see 3.)
| α 1533 Elyot Cast. Helthe (1541) 9 b, Thynges good for the Lunges: Elycampane: Hysope:..Pystaces. 1616 Surfl. & Markh. Country Farme 585 Filberds, pine nuts, pistaces, almonds. 1725 Bradley Fam. Dict. s.v. Pistache-Tree, The best Pistaches are brought from Arabia and Syria. |
| β 1598 W. Phillip Linschoten i. lii. 94/2 A white kernell very pleasant to eate, like Pistaccios. 1650 Fuller Pisgah i. iv. 11 Nuts (at this day called pistachioes, and most cordiall in physick). 1668 Wilkins Real Char. ii. iv. §7. 116 Pistacie, Fistic-nut. 1698 Fryer Acc. E. India & P. 247 Philberts, Haslenuts, Pistachias. 1751 J. Hill Hist. Mat. Med. 495 The Pistachia is..of an oblong Figure, pointed at both Ends,..about half an Inch in Length..the Kernel..of a green Colour, of a soft and unctuous Substance..much like the Pulp of an Almond. 1865 Pall Mall G. 20 Oct. 10 Melons are marvellously cheap and good in Marseilles, so are pistachios. |
| γ 1626 Bacon Sylva §50 Pistachoes..joyned with Almonds in Almond Milk,..are an excellent Nourisher. 1694 Motteux Rabelais iv. lx. (1737) 247 Pistachoes, or Fistick-Nuts. 1732 Arbuthnot Rules of Diet 263 Almonds, Pistachos, and other Nuts. |
b. The tree
Pistacia vera (family Anacardiaceæ), a native of Western Asia, much cultivated in the south of Europe. (Also
pistachio tree: see 3.)
| α c 1420 Pallad. on Husb. xi. 184 Pistace is in this moone Of plauntes sette. 1905 19th Cent. Aug. 269 The olive, pistache, jujube and plane from Syria. |
| β 1664 Evelyn Kal. Hort. (1729) 227 [Plants] to be first set into the Conservatory..Dactyls, Pistacio's, the great Indian Fig. 1751 J. Hill Hist. Plants 621 The pinnated-leaved Pistachia. |
2. A green colour resembling that of the kernel of the pistachio nut. (Also
pistachio green: see 3.) Also
attrib. or as adj.: Of this colour.
| 1791 A. M. Portman in A. C. Bower's Diaries & Corr. (1903) 141 The fashionable Colors are Coquelicot and Pistache. 1888 Daily News 7 June 5/8 A dress of plain pistachio satin. |
3. attrib. and
Comb., as
pistachio candy,
pistachio cream,
pistachio green (
n. and
adj.),
pistachio nut,
pistachio plantation,
pistachio tree;
pistachio ice,
ice-cream, ice(-cream) containing pistachio nuts; also, ice-cream coloured pistachio green.
| 1598 Epulario K iv b, Pistinachie [? error] Nuts. 1620 Venner Via Recta vii. 129 Pistach or Fisticke Nuts are of an aromaticall sauour. 1626 H. Mason Epicure's Fast ii. 13 Drie Figgs, Pepper,..Pistace nuts. 1658 Songs Costume (Percy Soc.) 164 Madam, here are pistachie nutts. 1698 Phil. Trans. XX. 466 A sort of Pistachio-Tree. 1736 Bailey Househ. Dict. 473 A Pistachio Cream. Take a pound of pistachio nuts, break the shells and blanch the kernels. 1796 Kirwan Elem. Min. (ed. 2) I. 28 Pistachio green, meadow green with a mixture of brown. 1825 Greenhouse Comp. II. 81 Atlantic Pistachia⁓tree, a small tree from Barbary in 1790. 1853 A. Soyer Pantroph. 121 Galen doubted whether pistachio nuts were good for the stomach. 1853 Mrs. Gaskell Ruth III. iv. 140 The days when you first brought me pistachio candy from London. 1868 A. Gouffé tr. J. Gouffé's Royal Cookery Bk. xvii. 561 Apricot and Pistachio Ice. 1882 O'Donovan Merv Oasis I. 331 The vineyards and pistache plantations. 1885 C. E. Pascoe London Today iii. 48 The more aristocratic foreign visitors to London..flocked thither [sc. to Verrey's restaurant] to eat pistachio ices. 1889 R. Wells Pastrycook & Confect. Guide vii. 65 Pistachio ice, blanch and beat until fine the kernels of 6 ozs. of Pistachio nuts [etc.]. 1899 Westm. Gaz. 20 April 7/3 A lovely gown of pale pistachio green satin. 1916 Frandsen & Markham Manuf. Ice Creams x. 103 Pistachio Ice Cream. 1942 A. L. Simon Conc. Encycl. Gastron. V. 57/1 Pistachio ice-creams..are ice-creams..flavoured with almonds and vanilla and coloured with vegetable dyes as near the pistachio green as possible. 1943 E. M. Almedingen Frossia vi. 228 Do you like pistachio ices—with small almond biscuits? 1972 E. Hargreaves Fair Green Weed i. 13 It's a big rambling place like a block of pistachio ice-cream. |