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coco-de-mer

American  
[koh-koh-duh-mair] / ˈkoʊ koʊ dəˈmɛər /
coco de mer British  
/ də ˈmɛə /

noun

  1. a palm tree, Lodoicea maldivica, of the Seychelles, producing a large fruit containing a two-lobed edible nut

  2. the nut of this palm

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of coco-de-mer

< French: literally, sea coconut

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The male trees grow enormous catkins with hundreds of yellow flowers Not surprisingly, coco-de-mer nuts sell for high prices and you need an export permit to take them out of the Seychelles.

From BBC • Jul. 16, 2011

A Seychelles legend says that during a full moon the coco-de-mer trees walk around the forest in order to mate.

From BBC • Jul. 16, 2011

But it seems that coco-de-mer nuts tend to germinate naturally very close to the mother tree.

From BBC • Jul. 16, 2011

Even a light breeze causes the giant fronds of the coco-de-mer trees to rub against one another with a sound like the creaking rigging of an old wooden schooner.

From BBC • Jul. 16, 2011

Female coco-de-mer trees bear the largest seed in the plant kingdom No-one knows whether the palms are pollinated by the wind, or by an insect or even indeed by a gecko.

From BBC • Jul. 16, 2011

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