almond

American  

[ah-muhnd, am-uhnd, al-muhnd] / ˈɑ mənd, ˈæm ənd, ˈæl mənd /

noun

• almonds
  plural

1. the nutlike kernel of the fruit of either of two trees, Prunus dulcis sweet almond or P. dulcis amara bitter almond, which grow in warm temperate regions.

2. the tree itself.

3. a delicate, pale tan.

4. anything shaped like an almond, especially an ornament.

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adjective

1. of the color, taste, or shape of an almond.

2. made or flavored with almonds.

   almond cookies.

almond British  

/ ˈɑːmənd /

noun

1. a small widely cultivated rosaceous tree, Prunus amygdalus, that is native to W Asia and has pink flowers and a green fruit containing an edible nutlike seed

2. the oval-shaped nutlike edible seed of this plant, which has a yellowish-brown shell

3. (modifier) made of or containing almonds

   almond cake

4. 1. a pale yellowish-brown colour

   2. ( as adjective )

      almond wallpaper

5. Also called: almond green.

   1. yellowish-green colour

   2. ( as adjective )

      an almond skirt

6. anything shaped like an almond nut

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• almondlike
  adjective
• almondy
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• almonds
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of almond

1250–1300; Middle English almande < Old French (dial.) alemande, probably by transposition of -la < Late Latin amandula, with assimilative replacement of the unfamiliar cluster and adaptation to a known suffix, representing Latin amygdala < Greek amygdálē; replacing Old English amigdal < Latin

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Explanation

An almond is an oval-shaped nut that grows inside a hard shell. Almonds grow on almond trees. Almonds are native to Mediterranean climates, particularly South Asia and the Middle East, and have spread to parts of North Africa, Southern Europe, and California. Almond trees flower in the spring, before the nuts are ready to harvest. While wild almonds are poisonous, the nut of the domesticated, sweet almond is delicious. We know the word almond comes from the Greek amygdalos, or "almond tree," but its origin beyond that is uncertain.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

almond almonds

He’ll be bringing an iced vanilla latte with almond milk—maybe two.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 25, 2026

A New York Wheels is a macadamia almond milk iced latte to go — “wheels” is the lingo the baristas there use for “to go.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 18, 2026

Researchers examined a wide range of products commonly available to UK shoppers, including burgers, vegetarian chicken pieces, vegan sausages, and oat, almond and soy-based milks.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 28, 2026

In Clovis, the local agency hasn’t yet imposed pumping restrictions, but farmer Susie Borneman Silva said she expects limits soon and doesn’t know how it will affect her small almond orchard.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 31, 2026

At the end, Colonel Gerineldo Márquez looked at the desolate streets, the crystal water on the almond trees, and he found himself lost in solitude.

From "One Hundred Years of Solitude" by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

I must have missed their protests against almonds and golf courses.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 13, 2026

In the markets of old Dubai, saffron, cumin, pistachios and almonds from Iran still fill the stalls, as if the two shores of the Gulf were not separated by war.

From Barron's ● Sep. 13, 2026

Spinach, almonds, and sweet potatoes are often praised for their nutritional value.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 13, 2026

Marcona almonds are lovely if you want an amusing high-low dialogue with the potato chips that appear later, though any salted roasted almond will do.

From Salon ● Jul. 30, 2026

The driver went to the village to buy almonds.

From "A Thousand Splendid Suns" by Khaled Hosseini

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