Main Entry: ¹va·nil·la

Pronunciation: \və-ˈni-lə, -ˈne-\

Function: noun

Etymology: New Latin, from Spanish vainilla vanilla (plant and fruit), diminutive of vaina sheath, from Latin vagina sheath, vagina

Date: 1662

1 a : vanilla bean b : a commercially important extract of the vanilla bean that is used especially as a flavoring
2 : any of a genus (Vanilla) of tropical American climbing epiphytic orchids