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

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

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

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

There’s almond milk, soy milk and something called “half and half,” midway between milk and cream.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 29, 2026

Right away, I’ll have granola or Grape Nuts with almond milk and blueberries.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 12, 2026

He typically eats five or six balanced meals a day that include foods such as eggs, avocado, broccoli, sweet potatoes, oats, almond milk and fruit.

From BBC ● May 22, 2026

The chocolates are shaped like mice, with almond ears and licorice tails.

From "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern

The farm grew apples, almonds and alfalfa, and, by 2001, McAfee had expanded into commercial dairy.

From Salon ● Jun. 22, 2026

Several other strains of the bacteria exist and can infect other host plants, including citrus, stone fruits, almonds, oleander and some shade trees, according to the California Pierce’s Disease Control Program.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 11, 2026

Teller’s bees were used for pollinating crops such as almonds on farms, and he also rescued bees before rehabilitating them and later renting them out for pollination.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 29, 2026

Between checkpoints she would snack on cashews and almonds and then at the end of that day's marathon she would have curry, rice, eggs and roti, as well as crisps and chocolate for extra calories.

From BBC ● Apr. 27, 2026

So I walked into Annemarie’s room balancing my lemonade and an ice water for her, along with a dish of almonds that her father had somehow warmed up.

From "When You Reach Me" by Rebecca Stead