macadamia

[ mak-uh-dey-mee-uh ]

/ ˌmæk əˈdeɪ mi ə /

noun

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

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

Nearby words

Origin of macadamia

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

Also called Queensland nut.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for macadamia

If the sight of a macadamia nut paralyzes you, for example, you can opt to remove all recipes with the offending food.
QOOQ: A Tablet for the Messy Cook|Katie Baker|December 23, 2012|DAILY BEAST
This variety of the Queensland nut has leaves and fruit larger than those of Macadamia ternifolia.
Fruits of the Hawaiian Islands|Gerrit Parmile Wilder

British Dictionary definitions for macadamia

macadamia

/ (ˌmækəˈdeɪmɪə) /

noun

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

macadamia nut the seed of this tree

Word Origin for macadamia

C19: New Latin, named after John Macadam (1827–1865), Australian chemist

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

Word Origin and History for macadamia

macadamia

Australian evergreen tree, 1904, from Modern Latin (1858), named for Scotland-born chemist Dr. John Macadam (1827-1865), secretary of the Victoria Philosophical Institute, Australia.