durian

American  

[door-ee-uhn, -ahn] / ˈdʊər i ən, -ˌɑn /

Or durion

noun

• durians
  plural

1. the edible fruit of a tree, Durio zibethinus, of the bombax family, of southeastern Asia, having a hard, prickly rind, a highly flavored, pulpy flesh, and an unpleasant odor.

2. the tree itself.

---

durian British  

/ ˈdjʊərɪən /

noun

1. a SE Asian bombacaceous tree, Durio zibethinus, having very large oval fruits with a hard spiny rind containing seeds surrounded by edible evil-smelling aril

2. the fruit of this tree, which has an offensive smell but a pleasant taste: supposedly an aphrodisiac

---

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• durians
  plural

---

Etymology

Origin of durian

1580–90; < Malay: a fruit with spiky skin, equivalent to duri thorn + -an nominalizer suffix

---

Explanation

If you're traveling in Southeast Asia and you come upon an odd oval fruit that looks like a green porcupine, you have found a durian. Don't be put off by its bad smell; the inside is delicious. Although the durian has only been known by the Western world since the 16th Century, its history goes back to prehistoric times. The name comes from the Malay root word duri, meaning "thorn" or "prickle," an allusion to its spiny outer covering. Its genus, Durio, has around 30 species, and the color of the edible inside varies from creamy to red. Foodies have compared its taste to a fine custard flavored with almonds, and even the seeds are edible.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

durian durians

Hung, a farmer who gave only one name, switched entirely from coffee to durian five years ago, but switched back two years ago, admitting it was too hard to produce the quality required.

From Barron's ● Aug. 30, 2026

China imported almost $7.5 billion worth of fresh durian last year, a near 12-fold rise from 2015.

From Barron's ● Aug. 30, 2026

But "our Hainan durians will always be just a supplement to Southeast Asian durians", acknowledged Feng Xuejie, a durian expert at the Hainan Academy of Agricultural Sciences.

From Barron's ● Aug. 30, 2026

Sixty-nine year-old Cherng, who is in the line in Singapore, tells the BBC that he has been having durian "almost every day".

From BBC ● Jun. 29, 2026

One hot afternoon, the guards had just finished off a particularly ripe, particularly smelly durian, and more husks littered the pavilion ground than usual.

From "A Wish in the Dark" by Christina Soontornvat

But "our Hainan durians will always be just a supplement to Southeast Asian durians", acknowledged Feng Xuejie, a durian expert at the Hainan Academy of Agricultural Sciences.

From Barron's ● Aug. 30, 2026

Malaysia's Federal Agricultural Marketing Authority has deployed emergency interventions to protect the income of small farmers, such as purchasing durians from them at a base price.

From BBC ● Jun. 29, 2026

Also on the heavily discounted list are premium varieties like Black Thorn, but the cheapest are the "kampung durians", which are so low on the pecking order that they are yet to be named.

From BBC ● Jun. 29, 2026

Today it's better known as the land of the Musang King — a buttery, bittersweet variety that the Chinese have dubbed the "Hermès of durians", as prized as the French fashion house.

From BBC ● Jan. 10, 2026

Vegetables are in great plenty, and consist of pumpkins, lettuce, onions, radishes, very long squashes, etc.; of fruits, they have melons, chicos, durians, marbolas, and oranges.

From The Former Philippines thru Foreign Eyes by Austin Craig

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

---