mango

American  

[mang-goh] / ˈmæŋ goʊ /

noun

plural

mangoes, mangos

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.

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

But the city’s vibrant offerings still beckon — and many of them can be experienced for less than an Erewhon Malibu Mango Smoothie.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 31, 2026

Since then, the company has been on a hiring spree and is working on new models, code-named Avocado and Mango, The Wall Street Journal previously reported.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 3, 2026

"Mango farming has become unpredictable," says Upendra Singh, who farms 16 acres of land in Malihabad, in the northwestern state of Uttar Pradesh.

From BBC • Feb. 19, 2026

Meta Platforms plans to release new AI models: Mango for images and video and Avocado for text.

From Barron's • Dec. 19, 2025

“But I thought you buried Mang...I mean, that Mango was bur...I mean...oh, I can’t even say the words.”

From "A Mango-Shaped Space" by Wendy Mass