tofu

Etymology

Borrowed from Japanese 豆腐(とうふ) (tōfu), from Middle Chinese 豆腐 (MC duwH bjuX, literally “bean + curdled”) (compare Mandarin 豆腐 (dòufu)). Doublet of dubu.

noun

1. A protein-rich food made from curdled soy milk.
   Coordinate term: tempeh
   First, marinate the tofu. In a bowl, whisk the kecap manis, chilli sauce, and sesame oil together. Cut the tofu into strips about 1cm thick, mix gently (so it doesn't break) with the marinade and leave in the fridge for half an hour. 8 May 2012, Yotam Ottolenghi, Sami Tamimi, Ottolenghi: The Cookbook, Random House, page 79
2. (computing, typography) A box or rectangle, empty or with a question mark or hexadecimal code inside, displayed by some systems in place of a character not supported by available fonts. (such as _□ or 𐕪)