n.
Pronunciation: v ə - ' ni-l ə , - ' ne-
Function: noun
Etymology: New Latin, from Spanish vainilla vanilla (plant and fruit), diminutive of vaina sheath, from Latin vagina sheath, vagina
Date: 1662
1 a : VANILLA BEAN b : a commercially important extract of the vanilla bean that is used especially as a flavoring
2 : any of a genus ( Vanilla ) of tropical American climbing epiphytic orchids