Vanillin

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /vəˈnɪlɪn/

Definitions

1. A compound extracted from the vanilla plant that imparts flavor along with aromatic qualities found in various food and fragrance applications
2. An organic substance derived from vanilla that is primarily responsible for its unique taste and pleasant aroma in culinary uses
3. An organic chemical found naturally in vanilla that provides its characteristic sweet taste and fragrance

Etymology: Vanillin is named for its source, the vanilla bean, and its name is built in a chain of borrowings that runs from Latin "vagina," meaning sheath, through Spanish. The vanilla pod was called "vainilla," a diminutive of Spanish "vaina," which means sheath or pod, and that Spanish word itself descends from Latin "vagina." So the plant's name literally refers to the shape of the pod as a little sheath, the same root that gave English its anatomical term. The chemical name arrived much later. English took "vanilla" from Spanish, and chemists then added the suffix "-in," a common ending for organic compounds, to form "vanillin" for the aromatic substance extracted from the bean. The suffix itself has a long pedigree, passing through Latin "-inus" and Old French before reaching English, where it became the standard label for many naturally derived compounds.