mango

[mang-goh]

noun

plural

mangoes, mangos 

1. the oblong, sweet fruit of a tropical tree, Mangifera indica, of the cashew family, eaten ripe, or preserved or pickled.

2. the tree itself.

3. Midland U.S. chiefly the Ohio Valley.,  a sweet pepper.

4. Ornithology.,  any of several large hummingbirds of the genus Anthracothorax.

mango

/ ˈmæŋɡəʊ /

noun

1. a tropical Asian anacardiaceous evergreen tree, Mangifera indica, cultivated in the tropics for its fruit

2. the ovoid edible fruit of this tree, having a smooth rind and sweet juicy orange-yellow flesh

Word History and Origins

Origin of mango¹

1575–85; < Portuguese manga, probably < Malayalam māṅṅa

Word History and Origins

Origin of mango¹

C16: via Portuguese from Malay mangā, from Tamil mānkāy from mān mango tree + kāy fruit

When To Use

What is a mango?

A mango is a tropical fruit that grows from the Mangifera indica tree. The word mango is also sometimes used to refer to this species of tree.Mangoes have smooth rinds and soft, sweet flesh that surrounds a relatively large seed. Unripe mangoes are usually green in color and change to yellow, orange, red, purple, or a combination of colors as they ripen. Mangoes are high in vitamin C and contain a variety of other vitamins and minerals.There are hundreds of different varieties of mangoes grown around the world. They vary widely in flavor, ripening season, geographic region, seed-to-flesh ratio, and many other aspects. Many connoisseurs consider some of the Pakistani varieties to be the best.Example: Alya will tell you that you’re eating a mango properly when you’re slurping it up and the juice is running down your arm.