Vanilla Definition & Meaning

American

British

Etymology

Examples

Synonyms vanilla American [vuh-nil-uh, -nel-uh] / vəˈnɪl ə, -ˈnɛl ə /

noun

1. any tropical, climbing orchid of the genus Vanilla, especially V. planifolia, bearing podlike fruit yielding an extract used in flavoring food, in perfumery, etc.

2. Also called vanilla bean. the fruit or bean of this orchid.

3. the extract of this fruit.

adjective

1. containing or flavored with vanilla.

   vanilla custard.

2. Informal. plain vanilla.

vanilla British / vəˈnɪlə /

noun

1. any tropical climbing orchid of the genus Vanilla, esp V. plonifolia, having spikes of large fragrant greenish-yellow flowers and long fleshy pods containing the seeds (beans)

2. the pod or bean of certain of these plants, used to flavour food, etc

3. a flavouring extract prepared from vanilla beans and used in cooking

"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

adjective

1. flavoured with or as if with vanilla

   vanilla ice cream

2. slang ordinary or conventional

   a vanilla kind of guy

"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

Etymology

Origin of vanilla

1655–65; < New Latin < Spanish vainilla little pod, equivalent to vain ( a ) a sheath (< Latin vāgīna sheath) + -illa diminutive suffix (< LL)

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The last great decade for popular culture because everything since then has become quite vanilla.

From BBC

Niccol, for his part, started his day with a vanilla protein latte, he said.

From The Wall Street Journal

Don’t sleep on seasoning: warming spices like cinnamon, allspice and cardamom, plus baking favorites like ginger, citrus zest, or vanilla, take a smoothie from functional to delicious.

From Salon

Some mixture of orange peel, coconut oil and vanilla to create the sweet smell?

From The Wall Street Journal

Hailed as the “Queen of Spices,” green cardamom is one of the most expensive spices in the world, ranking third after saffron and vanilla.

From Salon

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.