tapioca

noun

tap·​i·​o·​ca ˌta-pē-ˈō-kə How to pronounce tapioca (audio)
1
: a usually granular preparation of cassava starch used especially in puddings and as a thickening in liquid food
also : a dish (such as pudding) containing tapioca
2

Examples of tapioca in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
One morning, a basket of warm pão de queijo (the chewy, tapioca-flour cheese balls) arrived on my table. Hannah Walhout, Travel + Leisure, 18 Oct. 2025 Food options include sandwiches and baked goods including beef rissoles — dumplings filled with ground meat — and pao de queijo, gluten-free cheese bread made from tapioca flour. Sacbee.com, 14 Oct. 2025 Health Risks of Tapioca There are no significant side effects associated with tapioca consumption. Kristen Gasnick, Verywell Health, 7 Oct. 2025 There are sides good enough to anchor their own restaurants, like the chewy garlic-chive-and-tapioca dumplings, which are Elphaba green and served with a fiery hot soy-chile dipping sauce. Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 28 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for tapioca

Word History

Etymology

Portuguese, from Tupi tɨpɨʔóka

First Known Use

1707, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of tapioca was in 1707

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Tapioca.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tapioca. Accessed 20 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

tapioca

noun
tap·​i·​o·​ca ˌtap-ē-ˈō-kə How to pronounce tapioca (audio)
: grains or flakes of starch from the cassava root that are used especially in puddings and as a thickening in liquid foods
also : a food (as pudding) that contains tapioca

More from Merriam-Webster on tapioca

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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