1
or chiefly British soya : soybean
Products that contain isoflavones—and are commonly called phytoestrogens—come from plants and legumes (such as soy), and show promise for decreasing hot flashes and may improve cholesterol.Michelle P. Warren
Producing meat in this ever-more crowded world requires creating new pastures and planting more land for imported feeds, particularly soy, instead of relying on local grazing.The New York Times
often used before another noun
soy milk
soy protein
a soy latte [=a latte made with soy milk]
2
: a food product made from or containing soy beans: such as
a
: soy sauce
Roy Choi, the Los Angeles restaurateur, advises sneaking a pat of butter and a splash of soy into instant ramen.Sam Sifton
b
: tofu, bean curd
In this narrow slice of a restaurant, house-made fried tofu in three flavors … draws crowds for good reason: The shop renders soy into cubes as light and fluffy as scrambled eggs.Washingtonian

Examples of soy in a Sentence

His book promotes the health benefits of soy. The recipe calls for two tablespoons of soy.
Recent Examples on the Web The protein comes from whey protein concentrate, and soy and coconut oil are the main fat sources. Lainey Younkin, Ms, Rd, Parents, 15 Mar. 2024 Corn yields can decline as temperatures rise and these and other crops such as soy beans can be affected by an increasing number pathogens and pests as precipitation increases earlier. Karl Schneider, The Indianapolis Star, 8 Mar. 2024 That’s because chocolate chips contain a stabilizer (in Toll House’s case, soy lecithin) to keep the chips intact at higher temperatures. Sam Stone, Bon Appétit, 6 Mar. 2024 Some — but not all — of the dipping cups labeled as containing Polynesian sauce in fact contained Sriracha sauce, which contains wheat and soy, according to the company. Kate Gibson, CBS News, 4 Mar. 2024 According to an allergen and ingredient guide on the Dunkin’ website, every doughnut on its limited-time and permanent menus includes at least eggs, milk, soy and wheat, meaning none are vegan or gluten-free. Emily Heil, Washington Post, 6 Mar. 2024 Erythritol is another sugar alcohol that pops up here, and sunflower lecithin takes the place of the usual soy lecithin that many other chocolate chips use. Sam Stone, Bon Appétit, 6 Mar. 2024 Top off the order with yuzu soy, sriracha or kewpie mayo sauce. The Arizona Republic, 4 Mar. 2024 This mere inconvenience for most people can be a serious or even life-threatening mistake for people who have a soy allergy or wheat allergy. David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 29 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'soy.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Japanese shōyu

First Known Use

1696, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of soy was in 1696

Dictionary Entries Near soy

Cite this Entry

“Soy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/soy. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

soy

noun
1
2

More from Merriam-Webster on soy

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!