1 vanilla | Definition of vanilla
Logo
Menu
dictionary thesaurus

vanilla

noun
va路​nil路​la | \ v蓹-藞ni-l蓹 How to pronounce vanilla (audio) , -藞ne- How to pronounce vanilla (audio) \

Definition of vanilla

 (Entry 1 of 2)

1a : vanilla bean
b : a commercially important extract of the vanilla bean that is used especially as a flavoring
2 : any of a genus (Vanilla) of tropical American climbing epiphytic orchids

vanilla

adjective

Definition of vanilla (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : flavored with vanilla
2 : lacking distinction : plain, ordinary, conventional
Synonyms Did You Know? Example Sentences Learn More about vanilla

Keep scrolling for more

Did You Know?

Adjective

For lexicographers, vanilla has more flavor than chocolate, because it adds a tasty synonym for plain to the English menu. The noun vanilla was first served up in 1662, but it took almost 200 years for its adjective use to become established for things, like ice and sugar, flavored with vanilla. By the 1970s vanilla was perceived as being the plain flavor of the ice-cream world, and people began using the word itself to describe anything plain, ordinary, or conventional.

Examples of vanilla in a Sentence

Noun

 The frosting is flavored with vanilla.

Adjective

 The d茅cor is pretty vanilla. a plain vanilla version of a song that's been recorded more times than necessary
See More

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

 This was a plain-vanilla Wine Train ride, but the company also offers themed journeys: Tequila train, beer train, murder-mystery train, Santa train. — Esther Mobley, SFChronicle.com, "Review: The Napa Valley Wine Train is tacky. It鈥檚 also a lot of fun.," 5 Sep. 2019 This makes Democratic voters, whose early support for Joe Biden suggests a demand for a plain-vanilla moderate whom Mr Trump might find hard to demonise, more sensible than the party鈥檚 left-wing activists. — The Economist, "The 2020 campaign will be more racially divisive than 2016 was," 18 July 2019 Go for poached eggs made aromatic with the Mexican epazote leaf but stay for the bread basket featuring Panader铆a Rosetta鈥檚 finest: chocolate-vanilla conchas and guava rolls stuffed with creamy ricotta. — Michaela Trimble, Vogue, "An Insider鈥檚 Guide to Colonia Ju谩rez, Mexico City鈥檚 Hottest Neighborhood," 3 July 2019 How about some cashew broccoli on the side and a cherry-vanilla slump cake or a berry-rhubarb galette for dessert? — Julia O'malley, Anchorage Daily News, "How Alaska eats: What Juneau about food in Juneau?," 21 June 2019 Private investing, though, is exploding as investors shift away from plain-vanilla stocks and bonds to seek higher returns in buyouts, real estate, infrastructure projects and bespoke lending. — Liz Hoffman, WSJ, "Goldman Sachs Wants to Look More Like Blackstone," 16 June 2019 The kids, Isak, 10, Kaleb, 8, and Jayden 11, are fans of the half-vanilla-half-chocolate flavor. — USA TODAY, "Interracial family asks Blue Bell to change name of Great Divide, the chocolate-vanilla mix," 14 June 2018 The vanilla-and-chocolate cake with buttercream icing featured the city鈥檚 official seal on top and decorative icing images of City Hall, Highland Manor and Lake Apopka wildlife scenes on other tiers. — Stephen Hudak, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Newly sworn-in Apopka Mayor Bryan Nelson asks highest-paid employees to reapply," 24 Apr. 2018 Pence鈥檚 plain-vanilla consistency is also a reassurance to congressional leaders. — Chris Stirewalt, Fox News, "Country roads, take us home," 20 Apr. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'vanilla.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

See More

First Known Use of vanilla

Noun

1662, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Adjective

1846, in the meaning defined at sense 1

History and Etymology for vanilla

Noun

borrowed from New Latin, borrowed from Spanish vainilla "the vanilla plant and fruit," diminutive of vaina "sheath, pod," going back to Latin v膩g墨na "scabbard, sheath"; replacing earlier vaynilla, borrowed from Spanish

Keep scrolling for more

Keep scrolling for more

More Definitions for vanilla

vanilla

noun
How to pronounce vanilla (audio) How to pronounce vanilla (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of vanilla

 (Entry 1 of 2)

: a dark substance that is made from the beans of a tropical plant and that is used to flavor food

vanilla

adjective

English Language Learners Definition of vanilla (Entry 2 of 2)

: having the flavor of vanilla
chiefly US, informal : not having any special features or qualities

See the full definition for vanilla in the English Language Learners Dictionary

vanilla

noun
va路​nil路​la | \ v蓹-藞ni-l蓹 How to pronounce vanilla (audio) , -藞ne-\

Kids Definition of vanilla

: a substance extracted from vanilla beans and used as a flavoring especially for sweet foods and beverages

vanilla

noun
va路​nil路​la | \ v蓹-藞nil-蓹 How to pronounce vanilla (audio) , -藞nel- How to pronounce vanilla (audio) \

Medical Definition of vanilla

1a : vanilla bean
b : a commercially important extract of the vanilla bean that is prepared by soaking comminuted vanilla beans in water and ethyl alcohol and that is used especially as a flavoring (as in pharmaceutical preparations)
2 : any of a genus (Vanilla) of tropical American climbing orchids

WORD OF THE DAY

See Definitions and Examples

Get Word of the Day daily email!