cashew

American  

[kash-oo, kuh-shoo] / ˈkæʃ u, kəˈʃu /

noun

1. a tree, Anacardium occidentale, native to tropical America, having milky juice, simple, leathery leaves, and yellowish-pink flowers in open clusters.

2. Also called cashew nut.  the small, kidney-shaped, edible nut of this tree.

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cashew British  

/ kæˈʃuː, ˈkæʃuː /

noun

1. a tropical American anacardiaceous evergreen tree, Anacardium occidentale, bearing kidney-shaped nuts that protrude from a fleshy receptacle

2. Also called: cashew nut.  the edible nut of this tree

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Usage

What does cashew mean? A cashew is an evergreen tree native to the tropical areas of the Americas, as in I took a nap under the shady cashew. The kidney-shaped seed found in the fruit of this tree is also called a cashew, or a cashew nut, as in Chang makes a tasty stir-fry using chicken and cashews. Because most people aren’t botanists or tropical tree growers, you’ll see cashew usually used to mean the seeds rather than the tree. If both items are being discussed, you’ll see references to “cashew trees” and “cashew nuts.”Although they are often referred to as nuts, cashews are actually the seeds found inside of the cashew apples that grow on cashew trees.Example: Roland ate so many cashews as a snack that he didn’t want supper. 

Etymology

Origin of cashew

1695–1705; < Portuguese cajú, aphetic variant of acajú < Tupi akaʾiu

Example Sentences

The exemptions covered other Ghanaian agricultural products including cashew nuts, avocados, bananas, mangoes, plantain, pineapples, coconuts, ginger and peppers, he said.

From Barron's

Beginners are advised to start with the larger nuts, such as the Brazil nut, and then work their way downward in size, through the pecan, the cashew, and the hazelnut.

From Literature

His company started producing Gut Nuts—fermented almonds, peanuts and cashews—in 2022.

From The Wall Street Journal

It is the world's leading producer of cacao, the raw material for cocoa; also produces cashew nuts, and has a thriving oil industry.

From Barron's

TJ’s Dark Chocolate Covered Cashews touts roasted cashews covered in a thin, caramel-like coating and a layer of rich dark chocolate.

From Salon