monkey bread

American  

noun

1. the gourdlike fruit of the baobab, eaten by monkeys.

2. the tree itself.

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monkey bread British  

noun

1. the gourdlike fruit of the baobab tree

2. another name for baobab

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Etymology

Origin of monkey bread

First recorded in 1780–90

Example Sentences

For monkey bread, I rolled each dough ball in half the glaze before baking, then brushed the rest over the golden crown as it emerged from the oven, still steaming.

From Salon • Sep. 30, 2025

Although King was one day late, Winfrey made sure to go all out for their Christmas reunion, revealing that she had a chef create the CBS host's favorite dessert, monkey bread.

From Fox News • Dec. 28, 2021

Warmed by heat lamps, they drank champagne and feasted on brisket, monkey bread and pão de queijo.

From Washington Post • Jan. 20, 2021

The Larder, which sits up front along San Vicente Boulevard, provides bites as simple as a croissant or monkey bread.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 13, 2015

The pulp of the fruit of the Adansonia digitata, or monkey bread, is also used as an article of food.

From The Commercial Products of the Vegetable Kingdom Considered in Their Various Uses to Man and in Their Relation to the Arts and Manufactures; Forming a Practical Treatise & Handbook of Reference for the Colonist, Manufacturer, Merchant, and Consumer, on the Cultivation, Preparation for Shipment, and Commercial Value, &c. of the Various Substances Obtained From Trees and Plants, Entering into the Husbandry of Tropical and Sub-tropical Regions, &c. by Simmonds, P. L.