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Definition: almond from The Hutchinson Unabridged Encyclopedia with Atlas and Weather Guide

Tree related to the peach and apricot. Dessert almonds, which can be eaten whole, are the kernels of the fruit of the sweet variety Prunus amygdalus dulcis, which is also used to produce a low-cholesterol cooking oil. Oil of bitter almonds, from the variety P. amygdalus amara, is used in flavouring. Bitter almonds contain hydrocyanic acid, which is poisonous and must be extracted before the oil can be processed. Almond oil is also used for cosmetics, perfumes, and fine lubricants. (Prunus amygdalus, family Rosaceae.)

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almond

From The Columbia Encyclopedia
name for a small tree ( Prunus amygdalus ) of the family Rosaceae ( rose family) and for the nutlike, edible seed of its drupe fruit. The “nuts” of sweet-almond varieties are eaten raw or roasted and are pressed to obtain almond oil. Bitter-almond varieties also yield oil, from which the poisonous prussic acid is removed in the extraction process. Almond oil is used for flavoring, in soaps and cosmetics, and medicinally as a demulcent. The tree, native to central Asia and perhaps the Mediterranean, is now cultivated principally in the Middle East, Italy, Spain, Greece, and (chiefly the sweet varieties) California, which now produces over 70% of the world crop. It closely resembles the peach, of which it may be an ancestor, except that the fruit is fleshless. The flowering almonds (e.g., P. triloba ) are pink- to white-blossomed shrubs also native to central Asia; like the similar and closely related pink-blossomed almond, they are widely cultivated as ornamentals. Several Asian types…
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Full text Article almond

From Word Origins
The l in almond is a comparatively recent addition; its immediate source, Latin amandula , did not have one (and nor, correspondingly, do French amande , Portuguese amendoa , Italian mandola , or German mandel ). But the relative frequency of the prefix al- in Latin-derived words seems to have…
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Full text Article almond

From The Oxford Companion to Food
the nut borne by the beautiful almond tree, Prunus dulcis , sometimes P. amygdalus , is delicately flavoured and highly versatile, has been cultivated since prehistoric times, and is the most important nut in commerce. The USA (California) is the main producer, supplying over half the world's crop, …
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Full text Article Almond

From A Dictionary of Literary Symbols
The almond tree blooms earlier than any other – as early as January in Palestine, March in England; it is prima omnium , “first of all,” according to Pliny ( Natural History 16.103). It can thus symbolize spring’s arrival, or more precisely a prophecy of its arrival. The Lord asks Jeremiah what he…
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Full text Article almond

From The Columbia Encyclopedia
name for a small tree ( Prunus amygdalus ) of the family Rosaceae ( rose family) and for the nutlike, edible seed of its drupe fruit. The “nuts” of sweet-almond varieties are eaten raw or roasted and are pressed to obtain almond oil. Bitter-almond varieties also yield oil, from which the poisonous…
| 253 words
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Full text Article almond

From Library of Health and Living: The Encyclopedia of Nutrition and Good Health
Almond Source: Getty Images.
A cultivated, elongated nut with white meat and a brown skin. The almond tree resembles the peach, to which it is related. The almond originated in Asia and was known to the Romans as the “Greek nut.” There are two varieties: the sweet almond and the bitter almond, which has a stronger flavor. …
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the kernel of the fruit of Terminalia catappa , a tree which occurs in both wild and cultivated forms in S. and SE Asia, and has been widely planted in other tropical regions, mainly for ornament and shade. It is tall and handsome and has leaves which turn red in the autumn—unusual for a tropical…
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Full text Article sugar almonds

From The Oxford Companion to Food
almonds coated with a layer of fine sugar, as for dragées . The sugar is often coloured, traditionally with pastels such as pink, blue, yellow, and mauve. Sometimes metallic coatings are applied, e.g. in the form of leaf silver. Sugar almonds with marbled exteriors are local specialities in several…
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Full text Article Almond: Prunus dulcis

From Encyclopedia of Herbs and Spices
Almond: Prunus dulcis
Taxonomy Name currently accepted: Prunus dulcis Authority: (Mill.) D.A. Webb Taxonomic serial no.: 24775 ( ITIS, 2016 ) Synonyms: Amygdalis dulcis Mill., Prunus amygdalis Batsch, Prunus communis (L.) Arcang., Prunus dulcis var. amara (DC.) Buchheim ( ITIS, 2016 ). Family: Rosaceae (Kingdom: Plantae…
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Full text Article almond

From The Macquarie Dictionary
the stone (nut) or kernel (sweet or bitter) of the fruit of the almond tree, Prunus dulcis, which grows in warm temperate regions. Plural: almonds the tree itself. Plural: almonds almond bark a large canopy tree with a cylindrical bole, sometimes buttressed, Prunus turneriana, with yellow flowers…
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Full text Article almond

From Collins English Dictionary
n 1 a small widely cultivated rosaceous tree, Prunus amygdalus, that is native to W Asia and has pink flowers and a green fruit containing an edible nutlike seed 2 the oval-shaped nutlike edible seed of this plant, which has a yellowish-brown shell 3 ( modifier ) made of or containing almonds: …
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