noun
quinoa
KEEN-wah
Quinoa (noun) means a grain-like plant native to the Andes, grown for its edible seeds. Example: “Farmers in the Andes have grown quinoa for thousands of years.”
noun
1
A grain-like plant native to the Andes, grown for its edible seeds.
"Chenopodium quinoa Will, (quinoa) is native to the Andes, and the seeds are a staple grain in parts of South America. The newly formed Canadian Quinoa Association anticipated growing about 400 ha of quinoa annually (Anonymous 1992e)."
— Derek B. Munro, Ernest Small (1997)
"Farmers in the Andes have grown quinoa for thousands of years."
"Quinoa was cultivated about 3,000 years ago in the Andes mountain region, and was the favored crop of the Incas, who used it as a sacred plant in rituals."
— Lisa Turner, Have fun exploring the land of unconventional grains (1999)
"The oldest archeological remains of domesticated quinoa date to 5000 BC (Tapia 1979)."
— Chittaranjan Kole, Pulses (2007)
2
The small, protein-rich seeds of this plant, cooked and eaten like a grain.
"She served a salad of quinoa, tomatoes, and feta."
How to use quinoa
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA protein-rich seed from a South American plant, cooked and eaten similarly to rice or couscous.
Common mistake
It's pronounced "KEEN-wah," not "kwin-OH-ah" — the spelling is misleading for English speakers.
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Word forms
- Plural
- quinoas
Fill the gap
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Farmers in the Andes have grown _____ for thousands of years.
Etymology
From Spanish quinua, borrowed from the Andean Quechua language.
Rhymes for quinoa
See all rhymes for quinoa →Frequently asked questions
What does “quinoa” mean?
The word “quinoa” means a grain-like plant native to the Andes, grown for its edible seeds. In plain terms, a protein-rich seed from a South American plant, cooked and eaten similarly to rice or couscous.
How do you pronounce “quinoa”?
“Quinoa” is pronounced KEEN-wah (/ˈkin.wɑ/ in IPA).
How do you use “quinoa” in a sentence?
Here is “quinoa” used in a sentence: “Farmers in the Andes have grown quinoa for thousands of years.”
What part of speech is “quinoa”?
“Quinoa” is a noun.
Where does the word “quinoa” come from?
The word “quinoa” comes from Spanish. From Spanish quinua, borrowed from the Andean Quechua language.
How many meanings does “quinoa” have?
“Quinoa” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a grain-like plant native to the Andes, grown for its edible seeds.
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