tamale

noun

ta·​ma·​le tə-ˈmä-lē 

: 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

Travelers will have the opportunity to enjoy authentic Mexican fare including traditional Día de Los Muertos items such as Pan de Muerto and tamales, and other dishes that incorporate festive ingredients like squash blossoms, corn, and sweet potatoes. —Judy Koutsky, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2025

This is our take on tamales, but with a Southern twist. —Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 22 Aug. 2025

Some kind of topping for tamale pie? —Chris Morocco, Bon Appetit Magazine, 14 Aug. 2025

Chavarria said events like Latin Restaurant Weeks make cultural cuisines accessible to people who are unfamiliar with Puerto Rican, Venezuelan, Oaxacan dishes — beyond the usual tacos and tamales. —Zareen Syed, Chicago Tribune, 13 Aug. 2025

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

Rhymes for tamale

• colley
• collie
• dolly
• folly
• golly
• holly
• jolley
• jolly
• lolly
• mollie
• molly
• ollie

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Kids Definition

tamale

noun

ta·​ma·​le tə-ˈmäl-ē 

: 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 

town in northern Ghana population 371,351