coconut
[ koh-kuh-nuht, -nuh t ]
/ ˈkoʊ kəˌnʌt, -nət /
noun
the large, hard-shelled seed of the coconut palm, lined with a white edible meat, and containing a milky liquid.
the meat of the coconut, often shredded and used in cooking, as a flavoring, and as a dessert topping.
Slang: Disparaging and Offensive. a person of color, especially a person of Latin-American or South Asian origin or descent, who is regarded as having adopted the attitudes, values, and behavior thought to be characteristic of middle-class white society, at the expense of his or her ethnic heritage.Compare Oreo.
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Nearby words
Sometimes co·coa·nut.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for coconut
British Dictionary definitions for coconut
coconut
cocoanut
/ (ˈkəʊkəˌnʌt) /
noun
the fruit of the coconut palm, consisting of a thick fibrous oval husk inside which is a thin hard shell enclosing edible white meat. The hollow centre is filled with a milky fluid (coconut milk)
- the meat of the coconut, often shredded and used in cakes, curries, etc
- (as modifier)coconut cake
slang, derogatory a black or Asian person who conforms to white culture at the expense of his or her ancestral culture, the idea being that, like a coconut, he or she is dark on the outside and white on the inside
Word Origin for coconut
C18: see coco
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Word Origin and History for coconut
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper