cherimoya

American  

[cher-uh-moi-uh] / ˌtʃɛr əˈmɔɪ ə /

Rarely cherimoyer

noun

1. a tropical American tree, Annona cherimola, having leaves with velvety, hairy undersides and yellow-to-brown fragrant flowers.

2. the large, edible fruit of this tree, having leathery, scalelike skin and soft pulp.

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Etymology

Origin of cherimoya

First recorded in 1730–40; from Latin American Spanish chirimoya, name of the fruit; of uncertain origin; alleged analysis as Quechua chiri “cold” + muyu “wheel, circle” is probably spurious

Example Sentences

"It is commonly referred to as the 'custard apple' because of all the sweetness. Try a cherimoya and you'll understand why Mark Twain called the fruit 'the most delicious known to man.'"

From Salon • Mar. 12, 2022

But there are also illustrations of fruits I’ve never heard of: chayote, sweetsop, cherimoya, sapodilla, passiflora and mammee apple.

From Washington Post • Jun. 21, 2021

Not when I could be eating duck sushi and scallops in cherimoya soup.

From New York Times • Nov. 12, 2019

Let the fruit ripen away from direct sunlight, and refrigerate cherimoya only once ripened.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 29, 2016

Every garden in the Orange Belt should have a cherimoya tree for ornament and for its fruit.

From Trees Worth Knowing by Rogers, Julia Ellen