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.
Nearby words
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. 2019
Examples from the Web for avocado
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
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