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almond

almond

The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed. | 2011 | Copyright

almond name for a small tree ( Prunus amygdalus ) of the family Rosaceae ( rose family) and for the nutlike, edible seed of its drupe fruit. The "nuts" of sweet-almond varieties are eaten raw or roasted and are pressed to obtain almond oil. Bitter-almond varieties also yield oil, from which the poisonous prussic acid is removed in the extraction process. Almond oil is used for flavoring, in soaps and cosmetics, and medicinally as a demulcent. The tree, native to central Asia and perhaps the Mediterranean, is now cultivated principally in the Middle East, Italy, Spain, Greece, and (chiefly the sweet varieties) California, which now produces over 70% of the world crop. It closely resembles the peach, of which it may be an ancestor, except that the fruit is fleshless. The flowering almonds (e.g., P. triloba ) are pink- to white-blossomed shrubs also native to central Asia; like the similar and closely related pink-blossomed almond, they are widely cultivated as ornamentals. Several Asian types are known as myrobalan, a name applied also to the cherry plum, with which flowering almonds are sometimes hybridized. The beauty of the almond in bud, blossom, and fruit gave motif to sacred and ornamental carving. In the Middle East the tree breaks into sudden bloom in January, and in some of the region it has come to symbolize beauty and revival. The rod of Aaron in the Bible (see Aaron's-rod ) bore almonds. Almonds are classified in the division Magnoliophyta , class Magnoliopsida, order Rosales, family Rosaceae.

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almond

A Dictionary of Food and Nutrition | 2005 | | Copyright

almond A nut, the seeds of Prunus amygdalus var. dulcis. All varieties contain the glycoside amygdalin, which forms hydrogen cyanide when the nuts are crushed. The bitter almond, used for almond oil, (P. amygdalus var. amara) may yield dangerous amounts of cyanide.

A 60‐g portion (36 nuts) is a rich source of protein, copper, niacin, and vitamins B2, E; a good source of iron and zinc; a source of vitamin B1; contains 35 g of fat, of which 10% is saturated and 70% mono‐unsaturated; provides 8.4 g of dietary fibre; supplies 370 kcal (1550 kJ).
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DAVID A. BENDER. "almond." A Dictionary of Food and Nutrition. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. 26 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

DAVID A. BENDER. "almond." A Dictionary of Food and Nutrition. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. (May 26, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O39-almond.html

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almond

The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English | 2009 | Copyright

al·mond / ˈä(l)mənd; ˈa(l)-/ • n. 1. the oval nutlike seed (kernel) of the almond tree, used as food. 2. (also almond tree) the widely cultivated Asian tree (Prunus dulcis) of the rose family that produces this nut. • adj. made of or flavored with almonds. ∎  of an oval shape, pointed at one or both ends: almond eyes. ∎  a pale tan color, as of an almond shell.

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almond

The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology | 1996 | | Copyright

almond XIII. — OF. alemande, a(l)mande (mod. amande), for *almandle — medL. amandula, alt. of L. amygdala — Gr. amugdálē, initial al- app. due to assoc. with Rom. words having AL-2 prefixed.
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T. F. HOAD. "almond." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. 26 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

T. F. HOAD. "almond." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. (May 26, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-almond.html

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almond

A Dictionary of the Bible | 1997 | | Copyright

almond A fruit tree often mentioned in the OT and, because of the shape of the fruit, possibly originally associated with fertility rites. The white blossom is used in Eccles. 12: 5 as a symbol for old age.
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W. R. F. BROWNING. "almond." A Dictionary of the Bible. 1997. Encyclopedia.com. 26 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

W. R. F. BROWNING. "almond." A Dictionary of the Bible. 1997. Encyclopedia.com. (May 26, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O94-almond.html

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almond

World Encyclopedia | 2005 | Copyright

almond Small tree native to the e Mediterranean region and sw Asia; also the seed of its nut-like fruit. Family Rosaceae; species Prunus dulcis.
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almond

A Dictionary of Architecture and Landscape Architecture | 2000 | | Copyright

almond. The ‘egg’ in egg-and-dart mouldings, defined by a fillet around the ‘egg’.
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JAMES STEVENS CURL. "almond." A Dictionary of Architecture and Landscape Architecture. 2000. Encyclopedia.com. 26 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

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almond

A Dictionary of Plant Sciences | 1998 | | Copyright

almond See AMYGDALUS.
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MICHAEL ALLABY. "almond." A Dictionary of Plant Sciences. 1998. Encyclopedia.com. 26 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

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almond

Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes | 2007 | Copyright

almond •unironed, viand •prebend •beribboned, riband •husband • house husband •unquestioned • escutcheoned •brigand, ligand •legend •fecund, second, split-second •millisecond • nanosecond •microsecond • rubicund • jocund •Langland • garland • parkland •Cartland, heartland •headland • Shetland • Lakeland •mainland •eland, Leland, Wieland, Zealand, Zeeland •Greenland • heathland • Cleveland •Friesland • Queensland • midland •England • Finland • Maryland •dryland, highland, island •Iceland • Holland • dockland •Scotland •foreland, Westmorland •Auckland, Falkland •Portland • Northland •lowland, Poland, Roland •Oakland • Copland • Newfoundland •woodland • Buckland • upland •Jutland, Rutland •Ireland • moorland •Cumberland, Northumberland •Sunderland • Switzerland •Sutherland • Hammond •almond, Armand •Edmund, Redmond •Desmond, Esmond •Raymond • Grimond • Richmond •Sigmund • Sigismund • Osmond •Dortmund • unsummoned •diamond • gourmand • unopened •errand, gerund •reverend • Bertrand • dachshund •unchastened •old-fashioned, unimpassioned •unsanctioned •aforementioned, undermentioned, unmentioned •unconditioned • unsweetened •unenlightened • unleavened •self-governed • unseasoned •wizened • thousand

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Free newspaper and magazine articles

The almond a sweet and bitter story.
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Newspaper article from: The Jewish Advocate (Boston, MA); 2/2/2007
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