tapioca

[ tap-ee-oh-kuh ]

noun

1. a food substance prepared from cassava in granular, flake, pellet pearl tapioca, or flour form, used in puddings, as a thickener, etc.

tapioca

/ ˌtæpɪˈəʊkə /

noun

1. a beadlike starch obtained from cassava root, used in cooking as a thickening agent, esp in puddings

Word History and Origins

Origin of tapioca¹

First recorded in 1605–15; from Portuguese, from Tupi tipioca, more literally, “pulp squeezed out” (of cassava plants), from tipi “dregs, residue” + oca “to squeeze out”

Word History and Origins

Origin of tapioca¹

C18: via Portuguese from Tupi tipioca pressed-out juice, from tipi residue + ok to squeeze out

Example Sentences

Their high levels of starch can be extracted to create tapioca, a common thickener for desserts, soups, and manufactured foods.

From Eater

Quite a few of these loafs use potato starch and tapioca starch in attempts to produce a lighter, fluffier product.

From The Daily Beast

Food is largely made up of canned goods and the ever-present farina, a sort of tapioca flour.

From Project Gutenberg

Soft hail, generally a little larger than tapioca and of the same shape, frequently fell.

From Project Gutenberg

He wandered off to the tapioca grove, leant against it in thought for a moment, and came back to me.

From Project Gutenberg

Enid, whose turn it was to bring up the plates of tapioca, pleaded guilty to a slight sensation of nervousness.

From Project Gutenberg

For the apple tapioca here given, the apples should be somewhat sour, as there will then be more character to the dessert.

From Project Gutenberg