soybean
gb/sˈɔɪbˌin/ us/sˈɔɪbˌin/
B1
English
Senses
0 senses
Noun
B1
entity
1
edible bean used for soy foods
A bean that people eat or use to make soy products.
Usage pattern:
[eat/use] (a) soybean; [cook/process] soybeans
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use singular when they mean the plural: say “soybeans are…” when talking about the beans in general.
Synonyms
soya bean (Common British spelling/variant.)
Collocations
dried soybeans
|cooked soybeans
|boiled soybeans
|roasted soybeans
|whole soybeans
|fermented soybeans
|organic soybeans
|soybean products
|soybean-based foods
|soybean protein
Themes
food
|nutrition
|cooking
|agriculture
Examples
- She added boiled soybeans to the salad for extra protein.
- The recipe calls for dried soybeans that you soak overnight.
- Soybeans are widely used in vegetarian cooking.
Learner examples
- I eat soybeans sometimes.
- These soybeans are cooked.
Noun
B2
entity
2
plant grown for its beans
A farm plant that produces soybeans.
Usage pattern:
grow [soybeans]; a [soybean] field/crop/harvest
Common mistake:
In farming contexts, “soybeans” often means the crop in general, not only the harvested beans.
Synonyms
soya (Shorter form used especially in British English, often for the plant or soy products.)
Collocations
soybean crop
|soybean field
|soybean harvest
|soybean farmer
|soybean planting
|soybean yield
|soybean production
|soybean acreage
|soybean prices
|soybean industry
Themes
agriculture
|farming
|business
|environment
Examples
- Farmers in this region rotate corn with soybeans to improve the soil.
- Late frost damaged the soybean crop this year.
- Soybeans are often grown on a large scale for oil and animal feed.
Learner examples
- They grow soybeans on their farm.
Grammar
Dictionary form
soybean
IPA
GB/sˈɔɪbˌin/
US/sˈɔɪbˌin/
Syllables & stress
soy - bean (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (soy)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: soybean
- Plural: soybeans
Expressions
soybean flour
1/sˈɔɪbˌin flˈaʊɚ/
fixed phrase
flour made from ground soybeans
Flour made from soybeans.
Examples
- The bread contains soybean flour for extra protein.
- A small amount of soybean flour can change the texture of baked goods.
soybean meal
1/sˈɔɪbˌin mˈil/
fixed phrase
technical
animal feed made from soybeans
A soy product used to feed animals.
Examples
- Many livestock diets include soybean meal as a major protein source.
- Rising soybean meal prices increased feed costs for farmers.
soybean milk
1/sˈɔɪbˌin mˈɪlk/
fixed phrase
milk-like drink made from soy
A drink made from soybeans instead of cow’s milk.
Examples
- She switched to soybean milk because she can’t drink dairy.
- Soybean milk works well in smoothies and cereal.
soybean oil
1/sˈɔɪbˌin ˈɔɪl/
fixed phrase
cooking oil from soybeans
Oil made from soybeans for cooking.
Examples
- The label lists soybean oil as the first ingredient.
- You can fry the vegetables in soybean oil or another neutral oil.
soybean protein
1/sˈɔɪbˌin pɹˈoʊtˌin/
fixed phrase
protein ingredient from soybeans
Protein that comes from soybeans.
Examples
- Some energy bars use soybean protein to boost the protein content.
- He checks ingredient lists for soybean protein because of his allergy.
soybean sprouts
1/sˈɔɪbˌin spɹˈaʊts/
fixed phrase
sprouted soybeans eaten as vegetables
Small sprouts grown from soybeans that you can eat.
Examples
- The soup is topped with soybean sprouts and sliced scallions.
- She quickly stir-fried soybean sprouts with garlic.