black walnut

noun

: a walnut (Juglans nigra) of eastern North America with hard strong heavy dark brown wood and oily edible nuts
also : its wood or nut

Examples of black walnut in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Growing a black walnut tree is a bad idea for most yards—especially small ones. — Helena Madden, Martha Stewart, 4 Apr. 2026 Also inside are wood tables and benches that Hildenbrand made out of black walnut wood from Washington state. — Elizabeth Marie Himchak, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 May 2026 Shadbolt cleverly blitzes a bit of black walnut into a vinaigrette that dresses a spray of watercress on the side, adding an unexpected layer of harmony. — Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 17 May 2026 This American native can be grown in Zones 5 to 8 and tolerates a range of growing conditions, including clay, wet soils, black walnuts, and air pollution. — Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 27 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for black walnut

Word History

First Known Use

1610, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of black walnut was in 1610

Rhymes for black walnut

See All Rhymes for black walnut

Browse Nearby Words

Blackwall hitch
black walnut
Black Warrior
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Black walnut.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/black%20walnut. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

black walnut

noun
: a walnut of eastern North America with hard strong heavy dark brown wood and oily edible nuts
also : its wood or nut
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All