noun
tamale
tuh-MAH-lee
Tamale (noun) means a Mexican dish made of masa dough filled with meat or other ingredients, wrapped in a corn husk, and steamed. Example: “Her grandmother made tamales every Christmas.”
noun
1
A Mexican dish made of masa dough filled with meat or other ingredients, wrapped in a corn husk, and steamed.
"She would peel back the husk, ladle over the salsa verde, stab a plastic fork straight down into the heart of the masa, and hand the tamale over to me."
— Justin Torres, Blackouts (2023)
"Her grandmother made tamales every Christmas."
How to use tamale
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA steamed corn-dough dish wrapped in a husk, traditional in Mexican cooking.
Common mistake
The singular is "tamale" — the word "tamales" is already plural in Spanish, so avoid saying "tamale's" as a plural.
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Word forms
- Plural
- tamales
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
Her grandmother made _____ every Christmas.
Etymology
A back-formation from the Spanish plural tamales, from Nahuatl tamalli, meaning "wrapped."
Synonyms
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tamal
Rhymes for tamale
See all rhymes for tamale →Frequently asked questions
What does “tamale” mean?
The word “tamale” means a Mexican dish made of masa dough filled with meat or other ingredients, wrapped in a corn husk, and steamed. In plain terms, a steamed corn-dough dish wrapped in a husk, traditional in Mexican cooking.
How do you pronounce “tamale”?
“Tamale” is pronounced tuh-MAH-lee (/təˈmɑ.li/ in IPA).
How do you use “tamale” in a sentence?
Here is “tamale” used in a sentence: “Her grandmother made tamales every Christmas.”
What part of speech is “tamale”?
“Tamale” is a noun.
Where does the word “tamale” come from?
The word “tamale” comes from Spanish. A back-formation from the Spanish plural tamales, from Nahuatl tamalli, meaning "wrapped.".
