■ noun
1》 a substance obtained from ~ pods or produced artificially and used to flavour sweet foods or to impart a fragrant scent to cosmetic preparations.
2》 a tropical climbing orchid with fragrant flowers and long pod-like fruit. [ Vanilla planifolia and related species.]
■ adjective informal having no special features.
Origin
C17: from Sp. vainilla 'pod', dimin. of vaina 'sheath, pod', from L. vagina 'sheath'.