Word
tapioca
Phoneticstapi·o·ca
UK/tˌæpɪˈəʊkɐ/
Uncountable noun
Definition
n. a white starch from the cassava root that cooks into soft, chewy balls or thickens soups and desserts.
n. a starch extracted from cassava root, sold as flour, flakes, or pearls and used as a thickening agent and food ingredient.
Examples
“I add tapioca pearls to my bubble tea.”
“She stirs tapioca starch into the soup to make it thicker without changing the taste.”
“Because tapioca thickens without clouding, pastry chefs prefer it for fruit fillings where clarity and gloss matter more than wheat flour can offer.”
Examples
simple
“I add tapioca pearls to my bubble tea.”
contextual
“She stirs tapioca starch into the soup to make it thicker without changing the taste.”
complex
“Because tapioca thickens without clouding, pastry chefs prefer it for fruit fillings where clarity and gloss matter more than wheat flour can offer.”
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “tapioca” in context.
Verb
01. cook tapioca
“Cook tapioca for ten minutes until the pearls turn clear.”
verb + noun
02. drain tapioca
“Drain tapioca well before adding it to the sweet soup.”
verb + noun
03. soak tapioca
“Soak tapioca in cold water for an hour before cooking.”
verb + noun
Adjective
04. chewy tapioca
“The bubble tea had soft, chewy tapioca at the bottom of the cup.”
adj + noun
05. instant tapioca
“She used instant tapioca to thicken the strawberry pie filling.”
adj + noun
06. sweet tapioca
“They served sweet tapioca with coconut milk for dessert.”
adj + noun
Noun
07. bowl of tapioca
“He ate a warm bowl of tapioca with mango and coconut.”
noun + prep + noun
08. tapioca pearls
“Black tapioca pearls give bubble tea its classic chewy texture.”
noun + noun
09. tapioca pudding
“My grandmother makes creamy tapioca pudding with vanilla.”
noun + noun
10. a cup of tapioca pearls
“Add a cup of tapioca pearls to the milk tea and stir well.”
11. bubble tea with tapioca
“She ordered a large bubble tea with tapioca and less sugar.”
12. soak tapioca overnight
“Soak tapioca overnight in cold water to shorten cooking time.”
Real-World Examples
“Starch and its derivatives, made from wheat, maize, potatoes and tapioca, are used in products from ice cream to cosmetics, paints, pills and cardboard due to their sweetening, thickening and texturizing properties.” “Singapore's Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority has recalled 11 types of tapioca starch balls made in Taiwan that are used in popular 'bubble teas', after they were found to contain maleic acid.” Etymology
Borrowed from Portuguese tapioca, from Old Tupi tapi'oka.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Related words
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Updated
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