almond

American  

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

noun

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

• almondlike
  adjective
• almondy
  adjective

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

Farmers pay Funkhouser to truck his bees across the country -- as far as the almond fields of California -- where they spend around two weeks pollinating crops.

From Barron's • May 19, 2026

With my half-caf almond milk latte, I complete the problem behaviors deck.

From Slate • May 10, 2026

Year over year, growers are choosing to plant new pistachio trees, likely eating into almond orchards’ domination of California’s central valley, Vasquez told Salon.

From Salon • May 6, 2026

Cake fillings of almond crunch and toasted pecan praline and candied lemon, while jackfruit and palm sugar bring distinct South-East Asian flavours.

From BBC • Mar. 28, 2026

To be polite, each always left a half-eaten almond tart behind, a habit that drove Rita wild.

From "The Ear, the Eye, and the Arm" by Nancy Farmer