avocado

American  

[av-uh-kah-doh, ah-vuh-] / ˌæv əˈkɑ doʊ, ˌɑ və- /

noun

avocados plural

1. Also called alligator pear.  a large, usually pear-shaped fruit having green to blackish skin, a single large seed, and soft, light-green pulp, borne by the tropical American tree Persea americana and its variety P. adrymifolia, often eaten raw, especially in salads.

2. the tree itself.

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avocado British  

/ ˌævəˈkɑːdəʊ /

noun

1. a pear-shaped fruit having a leathery green or blackish skin, a large stony seed, and a greenish-yellow edible pulp

2. the tropical American lauraceous tree, Persea americana, that bears this fruit

3. 1. a dull greenish colour resembling that of the fruit

   2. (as modifier)

      an avocado bathroom suite

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• avocados
  plural

Etymology

Origin of avocado

1690–1700; alteration of Spanish abogado literally, lawyer ( see advocate), by confusion with Mexican Spanish aguacate < Nahuatl āhuacatl avocado, testicle; cf. alligator pear

Explanation

An avocado is a fruit with a thick green skin and mild, creamy flesh. If you've ever eaten guacamole, you've tasted avocado. It might seem strange that an avocado is a fruit, because it's not sweet. Avocados have to be cut open before you eat them, and the hard pit in the middle needs to be removed. The inside of an avocado is firm but soft, a pale green shade. The word avocado is Spanish, from aguacate, and rooted in a Proto-Aztecan word, *pawa, that also meant avocado.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

avocado avocados

The soy sauce deepens it; the bacon crackles; the avocado cools everything down.

From Salon ● Jul. 28, 2026

Pair it with colorful summer sides like corn and avocado salad, broccoli slaw or cucumber kimchi, and it will feel nothing like Thanksgiving 2.0.

From Salon ● Jul. 12, 2026

And yellowfin tuna with dashes of avocado and taro chips?

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 8, 2026

In the 2010s, it was avocado toast and kale salad.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 5, 2026

Frankie reached for the plate of sliced avocado.

From "The Red Umbrella" by Christina Gonzalez

Here I am, in my house, surrounded by a yard filled with passion fruit, papaya, cucumbers, avocados, chard and yes, uchche.

From Salon ● May 9, 2026

The workshop also included a quiz and a chance to make a hair care mask from natural products including avocados, yoghurt and honey.

From BBC ● Apr. 1, 2026

Walnuts, avocados, peaches, lettuce, beans, grapes, tomatoes, olives, berries, onions, and, from La Mirada to Malibu, fields of commercial flowers.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 26, 2026

In both grocery aisles and the public consciousness, items such as avocados and almonds were deemed too fatty to be “healthy,” while Cocoa Puffs and Pop-Tarts technically qualified.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 19, 2026

In the produce market, short bananas dangled above glossy eggplant and bumpy avocados.

From "Caterpillar Summer" by Gillian McDunn