soy

noun

ˈsȯi 

1

or chiefly British soya

ˈsȯi-ə 

: 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

Ingredients in frozen protein waffles such as soy, whey, eggs, and hemp seeds can boost protein to 13 g for a serving of protein waffles. —Anna Giorgi, Verywell Health, 4 Dec. 2024

From January to October, the vegetable oils category had the largest price spike, jumping 24% on the back of higher prices for palm, soy, sunflower, and rapeseed oils. —Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 4 Dec. 2024

So orange chili scalloped, crudo, and soy, ginger, tuna crudo. —Bon Appétit, 2 Dec. 2024

Make sure to order the oysters natural, poached or grilled with evolving hot and cold style toppings such as native finger lime and ginger and soy. —Kaila Yu, Forbes, 30 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Japanese shōyu

First Known Use

1696, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Phrases Containing soy

• soy milk
• soy sauce

Kids Definition

soy

noun

ˈsȯi 

1

: soy sauce

2

: soybean