tapioca

noun

tap·​i·​o·​ca ˌta-pē-ˈō-kə How to pronounce tapioca (audio)
1
: a usually granular preparation of cassava starch used especially in puddings and as a thickening in liquid food
also : a dish (such as pudding) containing tapioca
2

Examples of tapioca in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web In a 3 1/2- or 4-quart slow cooker stir together turnip, carrot, potato, onion, tapioca, salt, pepper, and thyme. Erin Hooker, Better Homes & Gardens, 11 Mar. 2024 Many include emulsifiers, preservatives and thickeners such as tapioca. Jolene Thym, The Mercury News, 9 Feb. 2024 Ground chicken stuffed in a tapioca skin at Baan Thai in the District. Tim Carman, Washington Post, 10 Jan. 2024 Native Deodorant Now 14% Off Pros Long-lasting scent Large unisex scent range Cons Baking soda may irritate sensitive skin Native's formula features tapioca starch and baking soda to neutralize odor and absorb moisture, keeping armpits smelling fresh all day. Nikolas Greenwald, Good Housekeeping, 24 Mar. 2023 King Arthur Gluten-Free Ultimate Fudge Brownie Score: 41 Another gluten-free option (both this and Krusteaz employ rice flour, and King Arthur’s mix also includes tapioca starch) that didn’t quite hide its pedigree. Becky Krystal, Washington Post, 17 Jan. 2024 Fishy Green Ale is actually a minty soft drink with blueberry tapioca pearls. Travel + Leisure Editors, Travel + Leisure, 4 Dec. 2023 Taiwan, an island roughly the size of the Netherlands with a population comparable to that of Australia, is less known for natural settings than for its modern exports: bubble tea studded with chewy balls of tapioca and the high-powered microchips that power every new iPad, iPhone, and MacBook. Alexandra Kleeman, Travel + Leisure, 29 Oct. 2023 Thuc and her husband of 54 years, Hoang Quang Trung, served us Vietnamese sticky rice made with mung beans, tapioca and sugar. Jeremy Redmon, Smithsonian Magazine, 24 Oct. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'tapioca.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Portuguese, from Tupi tɨpɨʔóka

First Known Use

1707, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of tapioca was in 1707

Dictionary Entries Near tapioca

Cite this Entry

“Tapioca.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tapioca. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

tapioca

noun
tap·​i·​o·​ca ˌtap-ē-ˈō-kə How to pronounce tapioca (audio)
: grains or flakes of starch from the cassava root that are used especially in puddings and as a thickening in liquid foods
also : a food (as pudding) that contains tapioca

More from Merriam-Webster on tapioca

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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