vanilla
vanilla — noun
1. a flavouring ingredient taken from the seed pods of a tropical orchid plant; it
a flavouring ingredient taken from the seed pods of a tropical orchid plant; it adds a sweet, creamy taste to desserts, baked goods, and drinks
Meera added a teaspoon of vanilla to the cake batter before baking it.
add + vanilla + to [mixture]
Jisoo prefers homemade ice cream made with real vanilla rather than artificial flavouring.
real vanilla vs artificial flavouring
The recipe needs vanilla extract, but fresh vanilla bean seeds work too.
The kitchen smelled of warm vanilla and brown sugar while Nadia baked her birthday cake.
Eshe bought pure vanilla from a speciality shop for her grandmother's pudding.
- vanilla extract
more specific—refers to the liquid form made by soaking beans in alcohol
- vanilla flavouring
broader term that may include artificial substitutes
- vanilla bean
the whole dried pod, a different physical form
文法句型
vanilla used as uncountable noun
用法筆記
Uncountable in this sense—you say 'some vanilla' or 'a bottle of vanilla', not 'a vanilla'.
常見錯誤
vanilla — adjective
1. describing something that is basic, plain, or standard, with no unusual, special
describing something that is basic, plain, or standard, with no unusual, special, or exciting features—commonly used for products, software, designs, services, or lifestyle choices
Élise chose the vanilla editing software because she only needed basic functions.
vanilla editing software
The hotel room was clean but totally vanilla — white walls, beige carpet, no decoration.
vanilla = plain, unexciting
Tamar grew bored with her vanilla exercise routine and signed up for rock-climbing classes instead.
Stephanie thought the company's website design was too vanilla and asked for something bolder.
Emre wanted a phone that stood out, so he refused a plain vanilla model.
- fancy
elaborate or decorated, the opposite of plain
- deluxe
specifically refers to upgraded or premium versions
- customised
personally adjusted to individual preferences
文法句型
[subject] + be + vanilla
vanilla + [noun]
用法筆記
Common in informal contexts about technology, products, and design. Frequently used predicatively ("that design is vanilla") or attributively ("vanilla version"). The meaning is usually mildly negative or dismissive, suggesting a lack of imagination.
常見錯誤
2. flavoured with or containing extract from the vanilla bean, especially in sweet
flavoured with or containing extract from the vanilla bean, especially in sweet foods and drinks
Manuela ordered a vanilla milkshake with whipped cream on top.
vanilla milkshake
Nicholas bought vanilla yoghurt for breakfast because he liked its mild, sweet taste.
The bakery sold vanilla cupcakes with pink frosting for the children's party.
Kevin asked for a scoop of vanilla ice cream with hot fudge sauce.
- vanilla-flavoured
more explicit and slightly more formal
文法句型
vanilla + [noun]
用法筆記
Mainly used attributively before nouns (vanilla cake, vanilla pudding). In Taiwan, the common label is '香草口味' (xiāng cǎo kǒu wèi) on food packaging.