ETYM Cf. French pacane the nut.
1. Smooth brown oval nut of south central United States.
2. Tree of southern United States and Mexico cultivated for its nuts; SYN. pecan tree, Carya illinoensis, Carya illinoinsis.
3. Wood of a pecan tree.
Nut-producing hickory tree Carya illinoensis or c. pecan, native to central us and N Mexico and now widely cultivated. The tree grows to over 45 m/150 ft, and the edible nuts are smooth-shelled, the kernel resembling a smoothly ovate walnut.