tonka bean

noun

ton·​ka bean ˈtäŋ-kə- 

: the coumarin-containing seed of any of several tropical American leguminous trees (genus Dipteryx, especially D. odorata) that is used in perfumes and as an artificial vanilla flavoring

also : a tree bearing tonka beans

Examples of tonka bean in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Sweet floral Notes: Lavender blossom, vanilla orchid, blonde woods Sizes: 1.7 oz, 0.34 oz. Scent Family: Gourmand Notes: Madagascar vanilla, tonka bean, heliotrope Sizes: 3.4 oz., 2 oz., 1.7 oz. —Mary Honkus, Glamour, 8 Apr. 2025

Black cherry offers the perfect pinch of brightness with depth, and it is layered in this scent alongside almond, tonka bean, and rose. —Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 28 Feb. 2025

Its Lafayette Street, $320, fragrance is a warm, spicy scent featuring bergamot, coriander, vanilla, tonka bean and gray amber. —Kathryn Hopkins, WWD, 25 Mar. 2025

Its scent profile features hints of tonka bean mixed with ginger, vetiver, and patchouli. —Annie Blackman, Allure, 2 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Dutch tonka(-boon) & Portuguese (fava-)tonca, perhaps of Cariban origin

First Known Use

1796, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for tonka bean

• acrolein
• adenine
• alkylene
• aniline
• anthracene
• aquiline
• asphaltene
• atlantean
• atrazine
• butadiene
• butylene
• caesarean

Medical Definition

tonka bean

noun

ton·​ka bean ˈtäŋ-kə- 

: the seed of any of several leguminous trees of the genus Dipteryx that contains coumarin and is used in perfumes and as a flavoring

also : a tree bearing tonka beans