In biblical Hebrew תָמָר means “palm tree” or “date palm”.
The date is one of the seven species with which the land of Israel is blessed (Deut. 8:8):
Wheat, Barley, Grape, Fig, Pomegranate, Olive (oil), and (Date) honey.
כִּי יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ, מְבִיאֲךָ אֶל-אֶרֶץ טוֹבָה: אֶרֶץ, נַחֲלֵי מָיִם–עֲיָנֹת וּתְהֹמֹת, יֹצְאִים
בַּבִּקְעָה וּבָהָר. אֶרֶץ חִטָּה וּשְׂעֹרָה, וְגֶפֶן וּתְאֵנָה וְרִמּוֹן; אֶרֶץ-זֵית שֶׁמֶן, וּדְבָשׁ
The thick syrup cooked from dates (דְבָשׁ “Date Honey”) was used as a sweetener.
Tamar is also mentioned in Genesis 38 in the “Judah and Tamar” interlude between chapters 37 and 39.