avocado

[ av-uh-kah-doh, ah-vuh- ]

/ ˌæv əˈkɑ doʊ, ˌɑ və- /

noun, plural av·o·ca·dos.

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.

the tree itself.

Words nearby avocado

avlona, avm, avn, avn., avo, avocado, avocation, avocet, avodire, avogadro, avogadro's constant

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

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Examples from the Web for avocado

De Merode sits at a long table and digs into a plate piled with rice, beans, and avocado.
A Belgian Prince, Gorillas, Guerrillas & the Future of the Congo|Nina Strochlic|November 6, 2014|DAILY BEAST
“I have three piles of fundraising,” she said, pushing aside a sliced egg and avocado salad to demonstrate.
Can New York Democrat Zephyr Teachout Stop Governor Andrew Cuomo?|David Freedlander|August 18, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Any time of the day here is good to try tayoyos, an oval-shaped cake made of masa and stuffed with beans and avocado leaves.
The Road to Cinco de Mayo|Tania Lara|May 5, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Chipotle noted in a recent investor letter that they might cut back on their signature guacamole because of avocado scarcity.
America’s Next Agricultural Revolution Will Happen Indoors|Sarah Kunst|April 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Of note: The bracketed [a] in the titles means that this is an avocado, as opposed to a male [m] or female [f].
Five Subreddits You May Have Missed, and Probably Still Should Give a Miss|Kelly Williams Brown|April 5, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The Avocado was the name given by the Spanish conquistadores to the Persea gratissima, whose fruit is the “alligator pear.”
"Gombo Zhbes"|Lafcadio Hearn
They have not the plantain, good 21 baked, nor the avocado or alligator pear, which fried in butter or oil is so admirable.
The Art of Entertaining|M. E. W. Sherwood
The avocado pear-tree, I should think, has no relations among trees!
Adventures of a Young Naturalist|Lucien Biart
The avocado pear is one of the most highly prized of tropical fruits.
Origin of Cultivated Plants|Alphonse De Candolle
Cornelius nodded to several of the soldiers, who led the supercargo away behind an avocado tree.
A Son Of The Sun|Jack London

British Dictionary definitions for avocado

avocado

/ (ˌævəˈkɑːdəʊ) /

noun plural -dos

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

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

a dull greenish colour resembling that of the fruit
(as modifier)an avocado bathroom suite

Also called (for senses 1, 2): avocado pear, alligator pear

Word Origin for avocado

C17: from Spanish aguacate, from Nahuatl ahuacatl testicle, alluding to the shape of the fruit

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012