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jackfruit

American  
[jak-froot] / ˈdʒækˌfrut /

noun

  • jackfruits
    plural
  1. a large, tropical, milky-juiced tree, Artocarpus heterophyllus, of the mulberry family, having stiff and glossy green leaves, cultivated for its very large, edible fruit and seeds.

  2. the fruit of this tree, which may weigh up to 70 pounds (32 kilograms).


jackfruit British  
/ ˈdʒækˌfruːt /

noun

  1. a tropical Asian moraceous tree, Artocarpus heterophyllus

  2. the edible fruit of this tree, which resembles breadfruit and can weigh up to 27 kilograms (60 pounds)

"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

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

Etymology

Origin of jackfruit

First recorded in 1810–20; jack 3 + fruit

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

To create the biomaterial, the scientists manually collected latex from freshly harvested jackfruit and carefully purified it.

From Science Daily Jun. 19, 2026

Cake fillings of almond crunch and toasted pecan praline and candied lemon, while jackfruit and palm sugar bring distinct South-East Asian flavours.

From BBC Mar. 28, 2026

“There’s fruits, jackfruit and durian, these look like ‘Avatar’ fruits,’” Mulaney joked.

From Los Angeles Times Aug. 13, 2024

“I am growing jackfruit and coconut,” he said.

From Seattle Times Apr. 22, 2024

Nok and her parents stood in the temple courtyard, a sprawling jackfruit tree shielding them from the afternoon sun.

From "A Wish in the Dark" by Christina Soontornvat

The over-the-top price tag has shocked Twitter users, with many joking they would fly to Britain to become "multimillionaires" by selling jackfruits.

From BBC Feb. 24, 2022

The soldiers were already close by, having followed a trail of discarded coconut meat and jackfruits that, they say, the Burnhams themselves may have dropped to help the pursuit.

From Time Magazine Archive

It was there, while she was standing in a shopping arcade surveying jackfruits and persimmons, that she felt something tugging on the free end of her sari.

From "Interpreter of Maladies" by Jhumpa Lahiri

The seller of jackfruits was holding Bibi’s head, which struggled to toss from side to side.

From "Interpreter of Maladies" by Jhumpa Lahiri

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