durian
or du·ri·on
[doo r-ee-uh n, -ahn]
- 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.
- the tree itself.
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Origin of durian
1580–90; < Malay: a fruit with spiky skin, equivalent to duri thorn + -an nominalizer suffix
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Examples from the Web for durian
Contemporary Examples of durian
Once I even got a Durian—Asian fruit notorious for smelling like a sweaty sock—which did not make me popular that month.
Historical Examples of durian
It picked up the Durian which lay there and began to devour it.
Blown to BitsR.M. Ballantyne
It was a ripe Durian which had fallen from an immense height and missed him by a hairbreadth.
Blown to BitsR.M. Ballantyne
“All burra sahib like durian,” said the Kling, showing his white teeth.
Middy and EnsignG. Manville Fenn
I will begin with the durian, or sumpà, the fruit of which is unknown in our country.
My Friends the SavagesGiovanni Battista Cerruti
The season of the mangosteen is the same with that of the durian.
SiamGeorge B. Bacon
durian
durion
- 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
- the fruit of this tree, which has an offensive smell but a pleasant taste: supposedly an aphrodisiac
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Word Origin for durian
C16: from Malay, from duri thorn
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 durian
1580s, from Malay durian, from duri "thorn, prickle." So called for its rind.
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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper