macadamia

[mak-uh-dey-mee-uh]

noun

1. any Australian tree of the genus Macadamia, especially M. ternifolia, having whorled leaves and elongated clusters of pink flowers.

2. Also called macadamia nut. the edible, hard-shelled seed of this tree.

macadamia

/ ˌmækəˈdeɪmɪə /

noun

1. any tree of the Australian proteaceous genus Macadamia , esp M. ternifolia, having clusters of small white flowers and edible nutlike seeds

2. the seed of this tree

Word History and Origins

Origin of macadamia¹

1900–05; < New Latin, named after John Macadam (died 1865), Australian chemist; -ia

Word History and Origins

Origin of macadamia¹

C19: New Latin, named after John Macadam (1827–1865), Australian chemist

Example Sentences

At the heart of that land sits a 2,716-square-foot residence, which is surrounded by more than 4,000 macadamia trees and offers panoramic views of the ocean from its perch on the Hamakua Coast.

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Cashews, walnuts, macadamias, pistachios, even peanuts all work.

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The buttery, rich texture of the macadamia plays perfectly with the slight bitterness of the dark chocolate, making for a decadent bite that satisfies in just a handful.

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Zepeda uses macadamia nuts in her salsa macha because “the sweetness and fatty nature of the nut help curb the heat from my chile blend.”

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My oil of choice for this cake is macadamia nut oil, but you can use any you prefer, even olive oil, or a mixture.

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