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.

---

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

---

Etymology

Origin of macadamia

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

Example Sentences

Mainlanders have long shopped for vacation staples at the chain’s tropical warehouses, where the aloha shirts and macadamia nuts had them dreaming of what treasures lay abroad.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 22, 2026

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 • Oct. 15, 2025

Dark Chocolate-Covered Macadamia Nuts For a sweet-and-salty indulgence that feels more luxe than lazy, reach for dark chocolate-covered macadamia nuts.

From Salon • Apr. 18, 2025

Zepeda uses macadamia nuts in her salsa macha because “the sweetness and fatty nature of the nut help curb the heat from my chile blend.”

From Salon • Mar. 31, 2025

“And chocolate-covered macadamia nuts. And one of those dresses for myself.”

From "Everything, Everything" by Nicola Yoon