carambola

American  

[kar-uhm-boh-luh] / ˌkær əmˈboʊ lə /

noun

1. a tree, Averrhoa carambola, native to southeastern Asia, bearing deeply ridged, yellow-brown, edible fruit.

2. Also called star fruit.  the fruit itself.

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carambola British  

/ ˌkærəmˈbəʊlə /

noun

1. a tree, Averrhoa carambola, probably native to Brazil but cultivated in the tropics, esp SE Asia, for its edible fruit

2. Also called: star fruit.  the smooth-skinned yellow fruit of this tree, which is star-shaped in cross section

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Etymology

Origin of carambola

1590–1600; < Portuguese < Marathi karambal

Example Sentences

She has worn out a path along about 20 feet of the fence line, another 10 feet along my bromeliad patch, and about 10 feet in front of my carambola tree.

From Washington Post • Jun. 26, 2017

And Brazil’s exotic juice will be popular: caju, acai, carambola, caqui, goiaba and maracuja, often squeezed into juices - sucos in Portuguese.

From Washington Times • Jul. 23, 2016

And Brazil's exotic juice will be popular: caju, acai, carambola, caqui, goiaba and maracuja, often squeezed into juices — sucos in Portuguese.

From US News • Jul. 23, 2016

And Brazil’s exotic juice will be popular: caju, acai, carambola, caqui, goiaba and maracuja, often squeezed into juices — sucos in Portuguese.

From Seattle Times • Jul. 23, 2016

Many thanks for seeds of the Malva and information about Averrhoa, which I perceived was sensitive, as A. carambola is said to be; and about Mimosa sensitiva.

From More Letters of Charles Darwin — Volume 2 by Darwin, Francis, Sir