kamala

[kuh-mey-luh, kam-uh-luh, kuhm-]

noun

1. a powder from the capsules of an East Indian tree, Mallotus philippinensis, of the spurge family, used as a yellow dye and in medicine as an anthelmintic.

kamala

/ ˈkæmələ, kəˈmɑːlə /

noun

1. an East Indian euphorbiaceous tree, Mallotus philippinensis

2. a powder obtained from the seed capsules of this tree, used as a dye and formerly as a worm powder

Word History and Origins

Origin of kamala¹

Borrowed into English from Sanskrit around 1810–20

Word History and Origins

Origin of kamala¹

C19: from Sanskrit, probably of Dravidian origin; compare Kanarese kōmale

Example Sentences

Let’s take a trip back to August 2024: There was still plentiful optimism about the likelihood of a Kamala Harris win.

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If the federal government weren’t closed, it’s possible that Sen. Bernie Sanders would have better things to do than critique the long-dead presidential campaign of former Vice President Kamala Harris.

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Though the issue is not specific to McGrath’s campaign, many Democrats have become increasingly critical of the advertising-centric campaign spending, particularly in the wake of former Vice President Kamala Harris’s failed 2024 bid, which raised a record $1 billion.

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Over the course of a three-hour conversation, totems appeared on the table before us as he referenced them: a collection of Jamel Shabazz photography called A Time Before Crack, the new biography of James Baldwin, an inscribed early copy of Kamala Harris’s new memoir.

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Former Vice-President Kamala Harris's book tour, for example, has regularly been interrupted by pro-Palestinian protestors who object to the Biden administration's Middle East policies.

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