kamala

American

[kuh-mey-luh, kam-uh-luh, kuhm-] / kəˈmeɪ lə, ˈkæm ə lə, ˈkʌm- /

noun

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 British

/ ˈkæmələ, kəˈmɑːlə /

noun

an East Indian euphorbiaceous tree, Mallotus philippinensis
a powder obtained from the seed capsules of this tree, used as a dye and formerly as a worm powder

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of kamala

Borrowed into English from Sanskrit around 1810–20

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

It did come into play during the 2024 presidential campaign when NBC’s “Saturday Night Live” booked Democratic candidate Kamala Harris to appear in a sketch.

From Los Angeles Times

Plainly the protests complicated Kamala Harris’s task of finding a running mate.

From The Wall Street Journal

Bhattacheryya says that even someone like former Vice-President Kamala Harris isn't immune to being insulted over food.

From BBC

He extracted a $16 million settlement from CBS News after he sued over an interview with his opponent in the 2024 presidential race, Kamala Harris.

From Los Angeles Times

Bonta last year said he decided not to run for the post, then reconsidered it after former Vice President Kamala Harris and Sen. Alex Padilla announced they were not running.

From Los Angeles Times

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023