tapioca
[ tap-ee-oh-kuh ]
/ ˌtæp iˈoʊ kə /
noun
a food substance prepared from cassava in granular, flake, pellet (pearl tapioca), or flour form, used in puddings, as a thickener, etc.
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Nearby words
taphole, taphonomic, taphonomy, taphouse, taphrogenesis, tapioca, tapioca snow, tapioca-plant, tapir, tapir mouth, tapis
Origin of tapioca
1605–15; < Portuguese < Tupi tipioca literally, juice (of cassava) squeezed out, i.e., pulp after squeezing
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for tapioca
British Dictionary definitions for tapioca
tapioca
/ (ˌtæpɪˈəʊkə) /
noun
a beadlike starch obtained from cassava root, used in cooking as a thickening agent, esp in puddings
Word Origin for tapioca
C18: via Portuguese from Tupi tipioca pressed-out juice, from tipi residue + ok to squeeze out
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Word Origin and History for tapioca
tapioca
1640s, from Portuguese or Spanish tapioca, from Tupi (Brazil) tipioca, from tipi "residue, dregs" + og, ok "to squeeze out" (from roots of the cassava plant).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper