[Elamur Dictionary](https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/english/vanilla/)

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# vanilla

noun (vanilla, uncountable); adjective (vanilla ice cream)

«vanilla» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. Vanilla is a sweet flavour that comes from the seed pods of a kind of orchid plant. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/V/vanilla/#m1)
2. Vanilla is a flavour of ice cream, cake and other sweets. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/V/vanilla/#m2)
3. Informally, «vanilla» means plain or ordinary, with nothing special added. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/V/vanilla/#m3)

### In the lessons

In everyday life, vanilla is a favourite ice-cream flavour and is used in baking. In science and geography, vanilla pods grow on a climbing orchid in warm countries and must be dried. In maths problems, choosing flavours like vanilla, chocolate and strawberry is used for counting and probability. Phrases: «vanilla ice cream», «vanilla essence», «vanilla extract», «plain vanilla».

### Examples

- I'd like a vanilla ice cream, please. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/V/vanilla/#x1)
- Add a teaspoon of vanilla to the cake mix. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/V/vanilla/#x2)
- Vanilla comes from the pod of an orchid. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/V/vanilla/#x3)
- Of 20 pupils, 8 chose vanilla, 7 chose chocolate and 5 chose strawberry. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/V/vanilla/#x4)
- The cupcakes smelled of vanilla. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/V/vanilla/#x5)
- It was just a vanilla phone with no extra features. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/V/vanilla/#x6)

### Note

Uncountable as a flavour: «some vanilla». Spelt with double l. Vanilla extract has alcohol, so it is only used in small amounts in baking. «Vanilla» meaning «plain» is informal.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «vanilla» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/V/vanilla/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«vanilla» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/vanilla.html) on Mova free.