cardamom

noun

car·​da·​mom ˈkär-də-məm How to pronounce cardamom (audio)
-ˌmäm
: the aromatic capsular fruit of an Indian herb (Elettaria cardamomum) of the ginger family with seeds used as a spice and in medicine
also : this plant

Examples of cardamom in a Sentence

a tablespoon of ground cardamom
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.
The fragrance opens with bergamot, pink pepper and cardamom; features heart notes of tobacco flower, vetiver and patchouli, and dries down to base notes of cashmere wood, palo santo, incense, leather, oud and cade. James Manso, Footwear News, 11 Feb. 2026 The bar program includes cocktails with personal backstories and spice-box flavors, including nonalcoholic sips like the delicate, floral Honey Heist, made with Lyre’s Dry London spirit, cardamom, saffron, honey and ginger. Usa Today Network, USA Today, 11 Feb. 2026 Her Sunnyside restaurant feels like a celebration of cultures, flowing with fruit-forward cocktails, as tables share stews like the red lentil misir humming with heat and warmed with cardamom and cloves. Andrea Strong, Bon Appetit Magazine, 10 Feb. 2026 This winter, bartenders at every Dante address (from the original on Macdougal Street, to its residency in Claridge’s in London) are slinging the Cranberry Spritz, which combines cranberry juice and Perrier-Jouët champagne with a housemade cranberry syrup spiced with cardamom and vanilla. Chadner Navarro, Vogue, 10 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for cardamom

Word History

Etymology

Latin cardamomum, from Greek kardamōmon, blend of kardamon peppergrass and amōmon, an Indian spice plant

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of cardamom was in the 15th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Cardamom.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cardamom. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.

Medical Definition

cardamom

noun
car·​da·​mom ˈkärd-ə-məm, -ˌmäm How to pronounce cardamom (audio)
: the aromatic capsular fruit of an Indian herb (Elettaria cardamomum) of the ginger family with seeds used as a spice and in medicine
also : this plant

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