breadfruit

American  

[bred-froot] / ˈbrɛdˌfrut /

noun

1. a large, round, starchy fruit borne by a tree, Artocarpus altilis, of the mulberry family, native to the Pacific islands, used, baked or roasted, for food.

2. the tree bearing this fruit.

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breadfruit British  

/ ˈbrɛdˌfruːt /

noun

1. a moraceous tree, Artocarpus communis (or A. altilis ), of the Pacific Islands, having large round edible starchy usually seedless, fruit

2. the fruit of this tree, which is eaten baked or roasted and has a texture like bread

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Etymology

Origin of breadfruit

First recorded in 1690–1700; bread + fruit

Example Sentences

The air above Palau's pristine waters smells of salt and breadfruit, and on calm mornings in Koror, Palau's commercial centre, the whirr of dive boat engines echoes across the bay.

From BBC

In 1778, British explorer Capt. James Cook was welcomed when he anchored off the Hawaiian islands by locals eager to trade cuttlefish, breadfruit and pigs for nails and iron tools.

From Los Angeles Times

Before colonialism, commercial agriculture and tourism, thousands of breadfruit trees dotted Lahaina; the fire charred all but two of the dozen or so that remained.

From Seattle Times

A full kitchen awaited, filled with produce they had grown in their own yard: coconut, sweet peppers, plantains, bay leaves, breadfruit, soursop and more.

From New York Times

Later inhabitants built pole-and-thatch dwellings and grew crops such as taro and breadfruit.

From Science Magazine