tamale

noun

ta·​ma·​le tə-ˈmä-lē How to pronounce tamale (audio)
: cornmeal dough rolled with ground meat or beans seasoned usually with chili, wrapped usually in corn husks, and steamed

Examples of tamale 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.
Here are five different restaurants to try, from brunch at Con Huevos to tamales at Cravings Byanca. Ray Padilla, The Courier-Journal, 2 July 2025 The grandmother of 10 has been keeping her cooking skills sharp in detention, making due with limited ingredients for tamales and birria tacos. Nick Penzenstadler, USA Today, 30 June 2025 Emma De Paz woke up at 2 every morning for 25 years to make soup, roasted chicken and tamales to sell to work crews picking up their day’s supplies at the Home Depot. Brittny Mejia, Los Angeles Times, 20 June 2025 Visitors can walk down aisles of vendors who are selling everything from coffee and pastries to tamales, potted plants and, in one tent, handmade wooden cutting boards and pizza peels. Jesse Wright, Chicago Tribune, 9 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for tamale

Word History

Etymology

Mexican Spanish tamales, plural of tamal tamale, from Nahuatl tamalli steamed cornmeal dough

First Known Use

1854, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of tamale was in 1854

Browse Nearby Words

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Cite this Entry

“Tamale.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tamale. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

tamale

noun
ta·​ma·​le tə-ˈmäl-ē How to pronounce tamale (audio)
: cornmeal dough rolled with ground meat or beans seasoned usually with chili, wrapped in corn husks, and steamed

Geographical Definition

Tamale

geographical name

Ta·​ma·​le tä-ˈmä-lā How to pronounce Tamale (audio)
town in northern Ghana population 371,351

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