tamarind

noun

tam·​a·​rind ˈta-mə-rənd 

-ˌrind

1

: an African evergreen tree (Tamarindus indica) of the legume family that is widely grown in tropical regions and has hard yellowish wood, pinnate leaves, red-striped yellow flowers, and an edible fruit

2

: the fruit of the tamarind tree consisting of an oblong brown pod containing 1 to 12 flat seeds embedded in a brownish, sticky, acidic pulp which is used especially in preserves and pastes and to flavor foods and beverages

Illustration of tamarind

Examples of tamarind in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Meanwhile, the big and bold King of the Road is a seamless melange of Scotch, citrus amaro, lemon, tamarind, date, and absinthe. —Virginia Miller, Bon Appetit Magazine, 8 June 2026

The bar will offer a selection of nonalcoholic drinks like passionfruit and blood orange elixir with soursop and tamarind and toasted peanut soda. —Olivia Wakim, AJC.com, 6 June 2026

Spicy sauces do well with a hazy IPA or American-style lager, and tamarind sauce goes nicely with a lighter golden or blonde ale. —Jay R. Brooks, Mercury News, 1 June 2026

The bar leans into Thai ingredients like tamarind, pandan, and kaffir limes. —Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 May 2026

Word History

Etymology

Spanish & Portuguese tamarindo, from Arabic tamr hindī, literally, Indian date

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

tamarind

noun

tam·​a·​rind ˈtam-ə-rənd 

-rind

: a tropical tree of the legume family that has hard yellowish wood, feathery leaves, and red-striped yellow flowers

also : its fruit which has a sour pulp used especially for preserves or as a seasoning in cooking

Medical Definition

tamarind

noun

tam·​a·​rind ˈtam-ə-rənd, -ˌrind 

1

: a tropical leguminous tree (Tamarindus indica) with hard yellowish wood and a fruit with an acid pulp

2

: the pulp of the partially dried ripe fruit of a tamarind used in herbal medicine especially for its laxative properties