Tapioca is a starchycontaining a lot of starch; gives a thick, carbohydrate-rich texture food made from cassavaa tropical root plant whose tuber is used for food and flour. It is often sold as small pearls or granules and is commonly used to thickenmake a liquid or mixture less runny and more dense puddings, desserts, and other dishes.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-12. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Pronunciation
AI-generated pronunciation audio (OpenAI).
Accent: General American English
IPA: /ˌtæpiˈoʊkə/
Easy pronunciation: tap-ee-OH-kuh (approximate spelling).
Stress: Primary stress is on the third syllable, OH, with secondary stress on the first syllable.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-12. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Tapioca Meaning
Small starch pearls or granules made from cassava, used in cooking.
Part of speech: noun
Definition: A granular preparation of cassava starch used to thicken puddings and other foods.
Example: She made a creamy tapioca pudding for dessert.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-12. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Tapioca Synonyms
Similar Meaning
- cassava starch
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: uncertain — manual review needed. Checked: 2026-10-12. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Common Mistakes
- People sometimes use tapioca to mean any pudding made with it, but tapioca is the ingredient, not the dessert itself.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-12. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does tapioca mean?
Tapioca means a starchy food made from cassava, usually in small pearls or granules, used mainly to thicken or make desserts like pudding.
What are the synonyms of tapioca?
There are no strong everyday synonyms for tapioca. A close descriptive term is cassava starch, but it is not an exact substitute in all contexts.
Is tapioca the same as pudding?
No. Tapioca is the ingredient used in some puddings, especially tapioca pudding.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-12. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.