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

But the Bloody Mary-soaked, avocado toast-forward version as many knew it seems to be over.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 12, 2026

I order my tacos with avocado, a side of cebollitas asadas — bulb onions grilled until tender and charred — and a large jamaica.

From Salon ● Sep. 8, 2026

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

From Science Daily ● Sep. 6, 2026

The seeding of hundreds of thousands of acres of avocado trees transformed the state’s climate, with deforestation fueling higher temperatures and resulting in less rain.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 6, 2026

They began with chilled avocado soup and prawns in aspic.

From "The Ear, the Eye, and the Arm" by Nancy Farmer

When Pancho returned to Mexico to build a life with his wife, Terésa Pérez, the first thing he did was clear a patch of forest and plant avocados.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 6, 2026

"Farmers are willing to grow avocados, but they need proper guidance and assured markets," he says.

From BBC ● Sep. 4, 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

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

I text the number one-handed, trying hard not to drop the avocados.

From "Hello, Universe" by Erin Entrada Kelly