# tonka bean

> English word · Noun

## Definitions
1. A black wrinkled seed of a neotropical legume tree of species Dipteryx odorata, used as a perfume and vanilla substitute due to its high coumarin content.

## Etymology
Likely from Guyanese Creole English tonka, from a Tupian language, perhaps Kari'na tonka.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/tonka-bean