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

I could eat it every day with a side of avocado.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 9, 2026

Dobbertin, who spent years in Thailand, created her own crunchwrap featuring a tortilla wrapped around marinated chicken in a khao soi coconut curry with avocado basil ranch and crisp wheat noodles for added crunch.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2026

The “slop bowl” became internet shorthand for the familiar fast-casual mash-up — grains, greens, globally inspired protein, sauce, perhaps an avocado surcharge — assembled with the logic of a cafeteria line and an over-$10 price.

From Salon ● Oct. 3, 2026

Foods including avocado, quinoa, açaí, aguaymanto, chia, and pumpkin seeds were incorporated as locally accessible options.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 6, 2026

Tina Turreton is the white York, like ours, but with avocado trim.

From "Tangerine" by Edward Bloor

Anyone with a little capital planted avocados and did the same.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 6, 2026

"We completely changed the way we grow avocados after learning from South African experts. Today we use raised beds, wider spacing and different planting methods because avocado roots are highly vulnerable to diseases," Bopaiah says.

From BBC ● Sep. 4, 2026

Fifteen years ago there was almost no market for avocados in India, remembers Sunil Bopaiah.

From BBC ● Sep. 4, 2026

The press praised Kate for eating avocados to help cure her morning sickness when she was pregnant in 2017.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026

When she did, she jumped—almost dropping the avocados she was holding.

From "We'll Fly Away" by Bryan Bliss