tamale

¹ American  

[tuh-mah-lee] / təˈmɑ li /

noun

1. a Mexican dish made of minced and seasoned meat packed in cornmeal dough, wrapped in corn husks, and steamed.

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Tamale ² American  

[tuh-mah-lee] / təˈmɑ li /

noun

1. a city in N Ghana.

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tamale British  

/ təˈmɑːlɪ /

noun

1. a Mexican dish made of minced meat mixed with crushed maize and seasonings, wrapped in maize husks and steamed

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Etymology

Origin of tamale

1605–15, construed as singular of Mexican Spanish tamales, plural of tamal < Nahuatl tamalli

Example Sentences

The show’s narrator and singer regales guests with tales of how different Latin countries present stories of Santa Claus, or, say, the joy of unwrapping a tamale.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 19, 2025

Anguish colored the faces of Maria's son and another daughter, age 16, as they stepped in to continue running the tamale cart in the very spot where their mother was taken into custody.

From Barron's • Oct. 11, 2025

Before knocking on doors, Duarte had spent his morning at a tamale festival and was headed next to an event at a Sikh temple.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 30, 2024

Dig into tamale waffles, topped with shredded beef and two eggs or rich, cheesy shrimp and grits.

From Seattle Times • Jun. 1, 2024

He lives with his mother, a tamale maker, in a tiny wooden shack.

From "Enrique's Journey" by Sonia Nazario