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guava

[gwah-vuh]
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noun
  1. any of numerous tropical and subtropical American trees or shrubs belonging to the genus Psidium, of the myrtle family, especially P. guajava, bearing large, yellow, round to pear-shaped fruit, and P. littorale, bearing smaller, yellowish to deep-red, oval fruit.
  2. the fruit, used for making jam, jelly, etc.
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Origin of guava

1545–55; < Spanish guayaba < Arawak
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for guava

Historical Examples

  • Spread zepherettes with cream cheese and dot with Guava jelly.

    The Golden Age Cook Book

    Henrietta Latham Dwight

  • Those I bought were of Guava, cashew apple, citron, and lime.

  • “As I fear that we shall be,” muttered the master of the Guava.

    Paul Gerrard

    W.H.G. Kingston

  • And of all the oranges that ever you saw, and the guava jelly, and the pine-apples!

  • This guava is the source of the famous guava jelly of commerce.

    Fruits of the Hawaiian Islands

    Gerrit Parmile Wilder

British Dictionary definitions for guava

guava

noun
  1. any of various tropical American trees of the myrtaceous genus Psidium, esp P. guajava, grown in tropical regions for their edible fruit
  2. the fruit of such a tree, having yellow skin and pink pulp: used to make jellies, jams, etc
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Word Origin

C16: from Spanish guayaba, from a South American Indian word
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

Word Origin and History for guava

n.

1550s, from Spanish guaya, variant of guayaba, from Arawakan (W. Indies) guayabo "guava tree" or Tupi guajava.

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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper