Illustration of tamarind
tamarind
noun
tam·a·rind ˈta-mə-rənd 
-ˌrind
1
: an African evergreen tree (Tamarindus indica) of the legume family that is widely grown in tropical regions and has hard yellowish wood, pinnate leaves, red-striped yellow flowers, and an edible fruit
2
: the fruit of the tamarind tree consisting of an oblong brown pod containing 1 to 12 flat seeds embedded in a brownish, sticky, acidic pulp which is used especially in preserves and pastes and to flavor foods and beverages
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the Web The tamarind tortillas, too, offered an intense, concentrated reflection of their namesake. 
Emily Heil, Washington Post, 7 Sep. 2022 Combine it with a trip to nearby Garcia’s Fruit, which may have the city’s best mangonada (chamango), which has sorbet, chili, chamoy, a tamarind straw and, of course, mango slices. Matt Pawlik, Los Angeles Times, 21 July 2022 Gardens boast banana, papaya, tamarind and mango trees. New York Times, 24 May 2022 Winter spices including cloves and cinnamon typical of ex-PX are there as well as a tangy bitter tamarind sauce. Felipe Schrieberg, Forbes, 2 Aug. 2022 On a recent Sunday, in the makeshift kitchen behind his tent, Sungkamee expertly handled a wok engulfed in flames, tossing thin, flat rice noodles in a sweet tamarind sauce until the noodles were slick and shining. Los Angeles Times, 13 June 2022 While this dominates the palate, tamarind bitterness and dark chocolate notes lurk at the fringes. Felipe Schrieberg, Forbes, 28 June 2022 The magic ingredient is tamarind, a tangy fruit popular in Latino and Asian cuisines. Sunset Magazine, 1 July 2022 The mocktail menu included tamarind agua fresca and hibiscus sangria. Emily Mesner, Anchorage Daily News, 1 July 2022 See More
Emily Heil, Washington Post, 7 Sep. 2022 Combine it with a trip to nearby Garcia’s Fruit, which may have the city’s best mangonada (chamango), which has sorbet, chili, chamoy, a tamarind straw and, of course, mango slices. Matt Pawlik, Los Angeles Times, 21 July 2022 Gardens boast banana, papaya, tamarind and mango trees. New York Times, 24 May 2022 Winter spices including cloves and cinnamon typical of ex-PX are there as well as a tangy bitter tamarind sauce. Felipe Schrieberg, Forbes, 2 Aug. 2022 On a recent Sunday, in the makeshift kitchen behind his tent, Sungkamee expertly handled a wok engulfed in flames, tossing thin, flat rice noodles in a sweet tamarind sauce until the noodles were slick and shining. Los Angeles Times, 13 June 2022 While this dominates the palate, tamarind bitterness and dark chocolate notes lurk at the fringes. Felipe Schrieberg, Forbes, 28 June 2022 The magic ingredient is tamarind, a tangy fruit popular in Latino and Asian cuisines. Sunset Magazine, 1 July 2022 The mocktail menu included tamarind agua fresca and hibiscus sangria. Emily Mesner, Anchorage Daily News, 1 July 2022 See More Word History
Etymology
Spanish & Portuguese tamarindo, from Arabic tamr hindī, literally, Indian date
First Known Use
15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Medical Definition
tamarind
noun
tam·a·rind ˈtam-ə-rənd, -ˌrind
1
: a tropical leguminous tree (Tamarindus indica) with hard yellowish wood and a fruit with an acid pulp
2
: the pulp of the partially dried ripe fruit of a tamarind used in herbal medicine especially for its laxative properties