tonka bean

[ tong-kuh ]

/ ˈtɒŋ kə /

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noun

the fragrant, black almond-shaped seed of a tall tree belonging to the genus Dipteryx (or Coumarouna), of the legume family, especially D. odorata, of tropical South America, used in perfumes, as a source of coumarin, and as a substitute for vanilla.

the tree itself.

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Origin of tonka bean

1790–1800; tonka probably <Tupi tõka

Words nearby tonka bean

tonic pupil, tonic sol-fa, tonic spasm, tonight, tonk, tonka bean, Tonkin, Tonkinese, Tonle Sap, tonlet, ton-mile

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use tonka bean in a sentence

A French green bean salad with warm goat cheese reminds Ina Garten of having lunch in Paris.
The Barefoot Contessa’s Tasty Trip to Paris|Ina Garten|November 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Also making appearances in the early Garfield specials are the original Bilbo Baggins, Orson Bean, and a pre-Cheers George Wendt.
Garfield Television: The Cat Who Saved Primetime Cartoons|Rich Goldstein|November 5, 2014|DAILY BEAST
This has occurred with bean bag chairs, children's sweaters, and the Coco The Monkey Teething Toy.
9-Year Old With an Uzi? America Is Tougher on Toys Than Guns|Cliff Schecter|August 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Bean is to dying onscreen what Kevin Bacon is to being connected with every other actor.
Life After Deaths: Sean Bean on 'Game of Thrones' Paternity and 'Legends'|Jason Lynch|August 11, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Spending time with Bean is somewhat disconcerting after seeing him play so many somber, doomed roles.
Life After Deaths: Sean Bean on 'Game of Thrones' Paternity and 'Legends'|Jason Lynch|August 11, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Once even a blue bean (a bullet) made sad work with my head, and my fist has got a deuce of a smashing.
Tobacco; Its History, Varieties, Culture, Manufacture and Commerce|E. R. Billings.
Brazilian bean; the common bean, Phaseolus vulgaris, indigenous to America.
The Jesuit Relations and Allied Documents, Vol. II: Acadia, 1612-1614|Various
Called "Brazilian bean," because it resembled a bean then known in France by that name.
The Jesuit Relations and Allied Documents, Vol. II: Acadia, 1612-1614|Various
They are coffee-bean-shaped cocci which lie in pairs with their flat surfaces together (Fig. 116).
A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis|James Campbell Todd
At daylight he opened another can of beans and made himself two thick bean sandwiches, and walked on while he ate them slowly.
Cabin Fever|B. M. Bower

British Dictionary definitions for tonka bean

tonka bean

/ (ˈtɒŋkə) /

noun

a tall leguminous tree, Coumarouna odorata, of tropical America, having fragrant black almond-shaped seeds

the seeds of this tree, used in the manufacture of perfumes, snuff, etc

Word Origin for tonka bean

C18: probably from Tupi tonka

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