macadamia

American  

[mak-uh-dey-mee-uh] / ˌmæk əˈdeɪ mi ə /

noun

1. any Australian tree of the genus Macadamia, especially M. ternifolia, having whorled leaves and elongated clusters of pink flowers.

2. Also called macadamia nut.  the edible, hard-shelled seed of this tree.

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macadamia British  

/ ˌmækəˈdeɪmɪə /

noun

1. any tree of the Australian proteaceous genus Macadamia , esp M. ternifolia, having clusters of small white flowers and edible nutlike seeds

2. the seed of this tree

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Etymology

Origin of macadamia

1900–05; < New Latin, named after John Macadam (died 1865), Australian chemist; -ia

Example Sentences

At the heart of that land sits a 2,716-square-foot residence, which is surrounded by more than 4,000 macadamia trees and offers panoramic views of the ocean from its perch on the Hamakua Coast.

From MarketWatch

Cashews, walnuts, macadamias, pistachios, even peanuts all work.

From Salon

The buttery, rich texture of the macadamia plays perfectly with the slight bitterness of the dark chocolate, making for a decadent bite that satisfies in just a handful.

From Salon

Other favorites include macadamia nuts, hazelnuts and pistachios — my dad’s favorite.

From Salon

My oil of choice for this cake is macadamia nut oil, but you can use any you prefer, even olive oil, or a mixture.

From Salon