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

Example Sentences

Jacobsen, an almond and raisin grape grower, tracked his chill hours carefully all winter.

From The Wall Street Journal

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

His favourite treat, however, is the Simnel cake, a traditional fruitcake typically made with a layer of either marzipan or almond paste and associated with Lent.

From BBC

When you assemble the dessert into bowls and start dappling each island with caramel and toasted sliced almonds, your friends will begin to hover.

From The Wall Street Journal

Think of it this way: If you snack on a bag of donuts, then you’re unlikely to reach for an apple or a handful of almonds, and you may even skip a nutritionally balanced meal.

From MarketWatch