Definition

1. Noun:
   • An edible seed: An oval-shaped edible seed (often called a nut) from the fruit of the almond tree, used widely in cooking and baking.
   • A type of tree: A small, bushy, deciduous tree (Prunus dulcis) native to Asia and North Africa, cultivated for its seeds and known for its attractive pink or white blossoms.

Examples

• Noun (Seed):
  • She added sliced almonds to the salad.
  • Almond milk is a popular dairy alternative.
• Noun (Tree):
  • The almond tree in the garden blooms beautifully every spring.
  • They planted an orchard of almonds.

Advanced Usage

• "Almond-eyed": Having eyes shaped like an almond; often used to describe a specific, elongated eye shape.
  • The portrait showed a woman with delicate, almond-eyed features.
• In a botanical or culinary context, distinctions are made between varieties:
  • Sweet almond: The common type used for eating and cooking.
  • Bitter almond: A variety containing amygdalin, used primarily for flavoring extracts after processing.

Variants and Related Words

• Almondy (adj): Having the flavor or scent of almonds.
  • The cake had a lovely almondy aroma.
• Almond paste: A marzipan-like mixture of ground almonds and sugar.
• Almond butter: A spread made from ground almonds, similar to peanut butter.

Synonyms

• Nut (in a general culinary sense, though technically a drupe seed).
• Kernel (the edible part inside the shell).

Related Phrases

• Almond extract: A concentrated flavoring made from bitter almonds or almond flavor.
  • A few drops of almond extract enhance the flavor.
• Almond blossom: The flower of the almond tree.
  • The hills were white with almond blossom.

Related Idioms

• A hard nut to crack (idiom): While not containing "almond," this idiom uses "nut" metaphorically. An almond, as a hard-shelled seed, fits the literal concept.
  • This math problem is a hard nut to crack.

Noun

1. oval-shaped edible seed of the almond tree
2. small bushy deciduous tree native to Asia and North Africa having pretty pink blossoms and highly prized edible nuts enclosed in a hard green hull; cultivated in southern Australia and California