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vanilla

noun
va·​nil·​la | \ və-ˈni-lə How to pronounce vanilla (audio) , -ˈne- 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

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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 décor is pretty vanilla. a plain vanilla version of a song that's been recorded more times than necessary
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Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

 First introduced in 1997, Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel Select Tennessee Whiskey is a bold, full-bodied whiskey with complex character and flavors of vanilla, toasted oak and caramel. — al, "Jack Daniel’s will release a limited-edition whiskey in celebration of Alabama’s bicentennial," 21 Aug. 2019 Down a burger and fries at the picnic tables or grab a root beer float with a mountain of vanilla soft-serve to go. — Sarah Feldberg, SFChronicle.com, "Mendocino calls as dining destination," 18 Aug. 2019 Its cruelty-free formulation, which includes ingredients like tapioca starch, sodium bicarbonate (baking soda), coconut oil, and shea butter, keeps me smelling like a tasteful amount of vanilla through all of the day’s trials and tribulations. — Tess Garcia, Health.com, "I’ve Tried Tons of Aluminum-Free Deodorants, and This Is the Only One That Actually Works," 26 July 2019 The brewery uses Arabica and Robusta coffee beans, milk and a touch of vanilla. — Tiffini Theisen, orlandosentinel.com, "Alcoholic coffee now available in Florida," 24 July 2019 But in practice, building something that tall and complicated is more of a logistical pain in the butt than doing so in vanilla Minecraft. — Sam Machkovech, Ars Technica, "Minecraft Earth’s closed beta: This augmented reality needs more augmenting," 16 July 2019 Remove from heat and stir in vanilla, then eggs 1 at a time until fully incorporated. — Woman's Day Kitchen, Woman's Day, "Derby Pie Brownies," 29 Apr. 2019 Add eggs one at a time, stirring well between each addition, then stir in vanilla. — Marie Claire, "You Can Put CBD in That: Chocolatey Peanut Butter Brownies," 19 Apr. 2019 Add one pint of milk, the yolks of two eggs, a scant half-cup of sugar and one tablespoonful of vanilla. — Marley Marius, Vogue, "7 Alternative Thanksgiving Desserts from the Vogue Archive," 16 Nov. 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.

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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 vāgīna "scabbard, sheath"; replacing earlier vaynilla, borrowed from Spanish

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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·​nil·​la | \ və-ˈni-lə How to pronounce vanilla (audio) , -ˈne-\

Kids Definition of vanilla

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

vanilla

noun
va·​nil·​la | \ və-ˈnil-ə How to pronounce vanilla (audio) , -ˈnel- 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

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