tamarind

noun

tam·​a·​rind ˈta-mə-rənd 

-ˌrind

1

: an African evergreen tree (Tamarindus indica) of the legume family that is widely grown in tropical regions and has hard yellowish wood, pinnate leaves, red-striped yellow flowers, and an edible fruit

2

: the fruit of the tamarind tree consisting of an oblong brown pod containing 1 to 12 flat seeds embedded in a brownish, sticky, acidic pulp which is used especially in preserves and pastes and to flavor foods and beverages

Illustration of tamarind

Examples of tamarind in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Think pulled pork with a tamarind molasses BBQ sauce and smoked chicken with a chili-vinegar dip. —Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 18 Oct. 2024

Chapter, one of Hanoi’s newest fine-dining restaurants, offers an exceptional 12-course tasting menu, with ingenious dishes featuring tamarind, scallops, silverfish, duck and venison. —Chris Humphrey, New York Times, 17 Oct. 2024

The brew: Basic Witch pumpkin ale, 5.5% ABV, 30 IBU Field Brewing's pumpkin red ale combines pumpkins, tamarind, Belgian candi sugar and maple and fig syrups to create an intensely autumnal dessert beer. —Bradley Hohulin, The Indianapolis Star, 11 Oct. 2024

Here are a few recipes using tamarind, which McCormick named the 2024 Flavor of the Year. —Gretchen McKay, Twin Cities, 2 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Spanish & Portuguese tamarindo, from Arabic tamr hindī, literally, Indian date

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

tamarind

noun

tam·​a·​rind ˈtam-ə-rənd 

-rind

: a tropical tree of the legume family that has hard yellowish wood, feathery leaves, and red-striped yellow flowers

also : its fruit which has a sour pulp used especially for preserves or as a seasoning in cooking

Medical Definition

tamarind

noun

tam·​a·​rind ˈtam-ə-rənd, -ˌrind 

1

: a tropical leguminous tree (Tamarindus indica) with hard yellowish wood and a fruit with an acid pulp

2

: the pulp of the partially dried ripe fruit of a tamarind used in herbal medicine especially for its laxative properties