Spanish 'vainilla' (little sheath), from Latin 'vagina' (sheath) — named for the orchid pod's shape.
A flavouring derived from the seed pods of a tropical orchid, or the orchid itself; also used figuratively to mean 'plain' or 'conventional.'
From Spanish 'vainilla,' a diminutive of 'vaina' (sheath, pod), from Latin 'vāgīna' (sheath, scabbard). The Spanish conquistadors named the vanilla pod for its elongated sheath-like shape. Latin 'vāgīna' originally meant 'a sheath or scabbard for a sword' before acquiring its anatomical sense. The same Latin root is also the source of the English
Vanilla literally means 'little vagina.' Spanish 'vainilla' is a diminutive of 'vaina' (sheath), from Latin 'vāgīna' (sheath, scabbard). The conquistadors named the pod for its elongated sheath-like shape. Latin 'vāgīna' meant 'sword-sheath' long before it acquired its anatomical sense — but the etymological connection is genuine