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Definition of tamale
tamale
/təˈmɑː.li/
ta · ma · le
Plural:tamales
tamale Lexical Profile
CEFR
B1
Grade
4
Tier
2
Usage
Top 10k
tamale Game Scores & Validity
Scrabble US
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WWF
Wordle Guess
• noun
1
North American A traditional Mesoamerican dish consisting of masa (a starchy, corn-based dough) that is often filled with meats, cheeses, fruits, or chilies, and steamed or boiled in a leaf wrapper such as a corn husk or banana leaf.
Example
"We spent the entire afternoon making pork tamales for the family holiday gathering."
Word Nuance & Usage
In Spanish, the singular noun is 'tamal'; the standard English singular 'tamale' is a linguistic back-formation created from the plural 'tamales'.
• Rhymes for tamale
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed from Mexican Spanish 'tamal', which derives from the Nahuatl word 'tamalli', meaning 'wrapped'.
Cite this Entry
Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Tamale. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Oct 14, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/tamale