kamala

[kuh-mey-luh, kam-uh-luh, kuhm-]

noun

1. a powder from the capsules of an East Indian tree, Mallotus philippinensis, of the spurge family, used as a yellow dye and in medicine as an anthelmintic.

kamala

/ ˈkæmələ, kəˈmɑːlə /

noun

1. an East Indian euphorbiaceous tree, Mallotus philippinensis

2. a powder obtained from the seed capsules of this tree, used as a dye and formerly as a worm powder

Word History and Origins

Origin of kamala¹

Borrowed into English from Sanskrit around 1810–20

Word History and Origins

Origin of kamala¹

C19: from Sanskrit, probably of Dravidian origin; compare Kanarese kōmale

Example Sentences

"I think the mistake with it being Kamala is she had to run against her own record. It's very hard to do if the point of running is to say, 'I'm not that person'. It's hard to do and so she was given a very tough task," Clooney said.

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Gov. Gavin Newsom, former Vice President Kamala Harris and a slew of other national and California Democrats on Saturday rallied supporters to stay fired up in seeking passage of a ballot measure to redraw the state’s congressional districts ahead of the midterm elections.

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She performed at multiple campaign events in 2016 for Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, and publicly endorsed Kamala Harris in the 2024 election.

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Democrats, by contrast, have turned to sunny Americana: Kamala Harris’ 2024 campaign was all optimism and light, presenting a forward-looking message of renewal, hope, and collective purpose.

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This week, trick-or-treaters prepared for Halloween, Kamala Harris said she may run for president again, and King Charles III unveiled a memorial to LGBT+ military personnel.

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