: the coumarin-containing seed of any of several tropical American leguminous trees (genus Dipteryx, especially D. odorata) that is used in perfumes and as an artificial vanilla flavoring
also
: a tree bearing tonka beans
Examples of tonka bean in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Sweet floral Notes: Lavender blossom, vanilla orchid, blonde woods
Sizes: 1.7 oz, 0.34 oz.
Scent Family: Gourmand
Notes: Madagascar vanilla, tonka bean, heliotrope
Sizes: 3.4 oz., 2 oz., 1.7 oz.
—
Mary Honkus, Glamour, 8 Apr. 2025
Black cherry offers the perfect pinch of brightness with depth, and it is layered in this scent alongside almond, tonka bean, and rose.
—Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 28 Feb. 2025
Its Lafayette Street, $320, fragrance is a warm, spicy scent featuring bergamot, coriander, vanilla, tonka bean and gray amber.
—Kathryn Hopkins, WWD, 25 Mar. 2025
Its scent profile features hints of tonka bean mixed with ginger, vetiver, and patchouli.
—Annie Blackman, Allure, 2 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for tonka bean
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Mary Honkus, Glamour, 8 Apr. 2025
Black cherry offers the perfect pinch of brightness with depth, and it is layered in this scent alongside almond, tonka bean, and rose.
—Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 28 Feb. 2025
Its Lafayette Street, $320, fragrance is a warm, spicy scent featuring bergamot, coriander, vanilla, tonka bean and gray amber.
—Kathryn Hopkins, WWD, 25 Mar. 2025
Its scent profile features hints of tonka bean mixed with ginger, vetiver, and patchouli.
—Annie Blackman, Allure, 2 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for tonka bean
Cite this Entry
“Tonka bean.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tonka%20bean. Accessed 20 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
tonka bean
noun
ton·ka bean
ˈtäŋ-kə- 
: the seed of any of several leguminous trees of the genus Dipteryx that contains coumarin and is used in perfumes and as a flavoring
also
: a tree bearing tonka beans
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