1
a
: the drupaceous fruit of a small tree (Prunus dulcis synonym P. amygdalus) of the rose family with flowers and young fruit resembling those of the peach
especially : its ellipsoidal edible kernel used as a nut
b
: any of several similar fruits
2
: a tree that produces almonds

Illustration of almond

Illustration of almond
  • almond 1a

Did you know?

This nut is seed of a tree in the rose family, native to Southwest Asia. The tree grows somewhat larger and lives longer than the peach. It is strikingly beautiful when in flower. The nuts are either sweet or bitter. Sweet almonds are the edible type consumed as nuts and used in cooking. The extracted oil of bitter almonds is used to make flavoring extracts for foods and liqueurs. Almonds provide small amounts of protein, iron, calcium, phosphorus, and B vitamins, and are high in fat.

Examples of almond in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
With locations in Folsom and Roseville, Julian’s Patisserie & Café’s husband and wife team Julian and Bailey Jimenez will be presenting a Casselman plum-almond financier with plum compote and basil mascarpone chantilly. Sean Timberlake, Sacbee.com, 4 Sep. 2026 Add the all-purpose flour, almond flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda and comb through with your hands to combine and break up any lumps. ABC News, 3 Sep. 2026 The pine forests, the oak forests, all of the farms with olive, almond, cherry trees. Chris Marshall-Bell, New York Times, 3 Sep. 2026 Lutnick also pushed back on concerns that data centers use massive amounts of water by noting that almonds and cattle are among the top water-using industries. Samantha Subin,cj Haddad,kevin Breuninger, CNBC, 2 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for almond

Word History

Etymology

Middle English almande, from Anglo-French alemande from Late Latin amandula, alteration of Latin amygdala, from Greek amygdalē

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of almond was in the 14th century

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Cite this Entry

“Almond.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/almond. Accessed 6 Sep. 2026.

Kids Definition

: a small tree related to the roses and having flowers like those of a peach tree
also : the edible kernel of its fruit used as a nut

Medical Definition

1
: a small tree (Prunus amygdalus) of the rose family with flowers and young fruit resembling those of the peach
2
: the drupaceous fruit of the almond
especially : its ellipsoidal edible kernel used as a nut compare amygdalin

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