macadamia
macadamia Lexical Profile
macadamia Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A flowering evergreen plant of the genus Macadamia, bearing long, pendulous racemes of small, fragrant white, pink, or purplish blossoms with four petal-like tepals before developing hard-shelled fruits.
"In early spring, the macadamia bursts into bloom with long, drooping clusters of delicate pink and white flowers."
Any evergreen tree of the genus Macadamia (family Proteaceae), native to eastern Australia and widely cultivated in tropical and subtropical regions such as Hawaii for its edible nuts.
"The orchard in Hawaii is planted with hundreds of mature macadamias that thrive in the volcanic soil."
The smooth, round, extremely hard-shelled edible seed (nut) of the macadamia tree, prized for its rich, buttery flavor and creamy texture.
"She baked a batch of white chocolate cookies studded with roasted macadamias."
• Rhymes for macadamia
Word Origin & Etymology
Coined in 1857 by the German-Australian botanist Ferdinand von Mueller in honor of his friend and colleague John Macadam (1827–1865), a Scottish-born chemist, physician, and politician in Australia.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.