tapioca
noun
tap·i·o·ca ˌta-pē-ˈō-kə 
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
: cassava
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the Web Chewy tapioca pearls are an essential part of bubble tea. 
Su-jit Lin, Better Homes & Gardens, 15 Sep. 2022 Instead, these gummies are made with organic tapioca syrup, cane sugar, and natural flavoring and coloring. The Salt Lake Tribune, 17 June 2022 Shrimp in the har gow had better be sealed within a crystalline wrapper made of wheat and tapioca starches; chicken feet should be so tender that the skin slips off the bone like threadbare stockings. Los Angeles Times, 14 Apr. 2022 Invented in Taiwan in the 1980s, the classic recipe calls for rich, silky, shaken green or black tea with sizable black tapioca balls, which require a special straw to drink. Kate Springer, CNN, 22 Aug. 2022 But Yale and Celine’s growing loyalty to each other, coupled with the warmth of Chow’s prose, adds extra depth, just like the tapioca balls nestled in a glass of bubble tea. New York Times, 8 July 2022 This Taiwanese boba shop is known for its handmade tapioca pearls, which are caramelized in brown sugar in a wok. Bahar Anooshahr, The Arizona Republic, 8 July 2022 Green, black and cream teas are all available iced and can be customized with things like lychee gelatin or baby tapioca pearls. Megha Mcswain, Chron, 8 July 2022 Huge, keg-like vats hold the pale batter for the cones — mainly flour, water and sugar, along with tapioca flour for the cake cones. New York Times, 26 May 2022 See More
Su-jit Lin, Better Homes & Gardens, 15 Sep. 2022 Instead, these gummies are made with organic tapioca syrup, cane sugar, and natural flavoring and coloring. The Salt Lake Tribune, 17 June 2022 Shrimp in the har gow had better be sealed within a crystalline wrapper made of wheat and tapioca starches; chicken feet should be so tender that the skin slips off the bone like threadbare stockings. Los Angeles Times, 14 Apr. 2022 Invented in Taiwan in the 1980s, the classic recipe calls for rich, silky, shaken green or black tea with sizable black tapioca balls, which require a special straw to drink. Kate Springer, CNN, 22 Aug. 2022 But Yale and Celine’s growing loyalty to each other, coupled with the warmth of Chow’s prose, adds extra depth, just like the tapioca balls nestled in a glass of bubble tea. New York Times, 8 July 2022 This Taiwanese boba shop is known for its handmade tapioca pearls, which are caramelized in brown sugar in a wok. Bahar Anooshahr, The Arizona Republic, 8 July 2022 Green, black and cream teas are all available iced and can be customized with things like lychee gelatin or baby tapioca pearls. Megha Mcswain, Chron, 8 July 2022 Huge, keg-like vats hold the pale batter for the cones — mainly flour, water and sugar, along with tapioca flour for the cake cones. New York Times, 26 May 2022 See More Word History
Etymology
Portuguese, from Tupi tɨpɨʔóka
First Known Use
1707, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Kids Definition
tapioca
noun
tap·i·o·ca ˌta-pē-ˈō-kə
: small pieces of starch from roots of a tropical plant used especially in puddings