noun
tapioca
ta-pee-OH-kuh
Tapioca (noun) means a starchy substance extracted from the cassava root, used to make puddings and drinks. Example: “She made a creamy tapioca pudding for dessert.”
noun
1
A starchy substance extracted from the cassava root, used to make puddings and drinks.
"It happened when beverage aficionados learned that tapioca, the starch used to make the sweet, round, chewy black bubbles — or pearls — that are the featured topping in the popular boba tea drink, was in short supply."
— Kellen Browning, Another Unlikely Pandemic Shortage: Boba Tea (2021)
"Fish eyes and glue we used to call the half-cooked, large-grained, starchy tapioca without flavour that we were served every week in our residence at university. How I longed for the creamy pudding Mother used to make."
— Edna Staebler, Food That Really Schmecks (2009)
"She made a creamy tapioca pudding for dessert."
How to use tapioca
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA starchy food made from cassava root, often used in puddings or bubble tea pearls.
Common pairings
tapioca pudding
tapioca pearls
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Word forms
- Plural
- tapiocas
Fill the gap
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She made a creamy _____ pudding for dessert.
Etymology
Borrowed from Portuguese tapioca, from an Old Tupi word describing the starch extraction process from cassava.
Rhymes for tapioca
See all rhymes for tapioca →Frequently asked questions
What does “tapioca” mean?
The word “tapioca” means a starchy substance extracted from the cassava root, used to make puddings and drinks. In plain terms, a starchy food made from cassava root, often used in puddings or bubble tea pearls.
How do you pronounce “tapioca”?
“Tapioca” is pronounced ta-pee-OH-kuh (/tæpiˈoʊkə/ in IPA).
How do you use “tapioca” in a sentence?
Here is “tapioca” used in a sentence: “She made a creamy tapioca pudding for dessert.”
What part of speech is “tapioca”?
“Tapioca” is a noun.
Where does the word “tapioca” come from?
The word “tapioca” comes from Portuguese. Borrowed from Portuguese tapioca, from an Old Tupi word describing the starch extraction process from cassava.
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