feijoa

American  

[fey-yoh-uh, -hoh-uh] / feɪˈyoʊ ə, -ˈhoʊ ə /

noun

1. a shrub, Feijoa sellowiana, of the myrtle family, native to South America, bearing edible, greenish, plumlike fruit.

2. the fruit of this shrub.

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feijoa British  

/ fiːˈdʒəʊə /

noun

1. an evergreen myrtaceous shrub, Feijoa sellowiana , of South America

2. the fruit of this shrub

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Etymology

Origin of feijoa

< New Latin (1858), after João da Silva Feijó (1760–1824), Brazilian soldier and naturalist; -a ²

Example Sentences

The tale of rats and feijoa meeting in the city — and potentially elsewhere — is an unlikely love story: Neither is native to Colombia.

From New York Times

As this might suggest, a little feijoa goes a long way in flavour, and it is surprisingly versatile, appropriate in baking, confectionery, chutney, smoothies, salads and even alcohol.

From The Guardian

As you near the ruins of the estate, note the proliferation of more exotic flora as cactus, feijoa and palm join the more expected eucalyptus and oak.

From Los Angeles Times

The rats arrived from Europe, likely hundreds of years ago as a result of colonization; the feijoa trees spread northward from their native Argentina, Uruguay and Brazil.

From New York Times

To test his hypothesis, Mr. Matallana-Puerto did what any good naturalist would do: He watched and observed that the rats were attracted to feijoa plants.

From New York Times