mango

American  

[mang-goh] / ˈmæŋ goʊ /

noun

mangoes, plural mangos plural

1. the oblong, sweet fruit of a tropical tree, Mangifera indica, of the cashew family, eaten ripe, or preserved or pickled.

2. the tree itself.

3. Midland U.S. chiefly the Ohio Valley. a sweet pepper.

4. Ornithology. any of several large hummingbirds of the genus Anthracothorax.

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mango British  

/ ˈmæŋɡəʊ /

noun

1. a tropical Asian anacardiaceous evergreen tree, Mangifera indica, cultivated in the tropics for its fruit

2. the ovoid edible fruit of this tree, having a smooth rind and sweet juicy orange-yellow flesh

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Usage

What is a mango? A mango is a tropical fruit that grows from the Mangifera indica tree. The word mango is also sometimes used to refer to this species of tree. Mangoes have smooth rinds and soft, sweet flesh that surrounds a relatively large seed. Unripe mangoes are usually green in color and change to yellow, orange, red, purple, or a combination of colors as they ripen. Mangoes are high in vitamin C and contain a variety of other vitamins and minerals. There are hundreds of different varieties of mangoes grown around the world. They vary widely in flavor, ripening season, geographic region, seed-to-flesh ratio, and many other aspects. Many connoisseurs consider some of the Pakistani varieties to be the best. Example: Alya will tell you that you’re eating a mango properly when you’re slurping it up and the juice is running down your arm.

Other Word Forms

Inflected Forms

noun

• mangos
  plural
• mangoes
  plural

Etymology

Origin of mango

1575–85; < Portuguese manga, probably < Malayalam māṅṅa

Explanation

A mango is a sweet tropical fruit, and it's also the name of the trees on which the fruit grows. Ripe mangoes are juicy, fleshy, and delicious. Like peaches and plums, mangoes have an inedible pit at the center. Unlike these other fruits, the skin of a mango is very tough and also inedible. Mangoes grow in the warm climate of South Asia, and are the official nationalal fruit of Pakistan, India, and the Philippines. This tasty fruit was first imported to North America in the 17th century in a pickled form. Mango comes from the Tamil word mankay, "mango tree fruit."

Example Sentences

He opened his first Mango shop in 1984 with the help of his older brother Nahman, and quickly built the company into one of the world's leading fashion groups.

From Barron's • May 26, 2026

Mango enjoys the “full support and long-term vision of its shareholders, a distinctive strategy, and a corporate governance model aligned with the highest standards,” he said.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 26, 2026

Andic was hiking with his 71-year-old billionaire father, Isak Andic, in the Montserrat mountains near Barcelona when the Mango founder plunged to his death on December 14, 2024.

From Barron's • May 26, 2026

But when Mango struggled, including reporting its first ever loss, Isak looked outside the family for help.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 20, 2026

Mango jumps off my lap and chases halfheartedly after the pencil before lying down to wash himself.

From "A Mango-Shaped Space" by Wendy Mass