papaya

[ puh-pah-yuh ]

/ pəˈpɑ yə /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR papaya ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

the large, yellow, melonlike fruit of a tropical American shrub or small tree, Carica papaya, eaten raw or cooked.

the tree itself.

Nearby words

paparazzo, papauma, papaveraceous, papaverine, papaw, papaya, papeete, papelera, papen, paper, paper birch

Origin of papaya

1760–70; < Spanish < Carib (Hispaniola)

Also called pawpaw.

Related forms

pa·pa·yan, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for papaya

Papaya and Arugula Salad by Anne Byrn The Dinner Doctor offers a salad to please both the palate and the eye.
What to Eat|Cookstr.com|July 28, 2009|DAILY BEAST
Papaya is not as sweet as mango or peach, but it gives a salad great texture, flavor, and color.
What to Eat|Cookstr.com|July 28, 2009|DAILY BEAST
Another valuable fruit indigenous to this country is the Papaia (Carica papaya).
The Hawaiian Islands|The Department of Foreign Affairs
We passed several small coffee plantations; in the clearings near the houses were banana, orange, and papaya trees.
Journeys and Experiences in Argentina, Paraguay, and Chile|Henry Stephens

A fruit that always appealed to us was the papaya, or pawpaw.
Up the Orinoco and down the Magdalena|H. J. Mozans
In some countries they wrap meat in papaya leaves for several hours before eating in order to soften it.
The Medicinal Plants of the Philippines|T. H. Pardo de Tavera
“Santa Ana's house is full of bullets” is rather pretty description for the papaya.
A Little Book of Filipino Riddles|Various

British Dictionary definitions for papaya

papaya

/ (pəˈpaɪə) /

noun

a Caribbean evergreen tree, Carica papaya, with a crown of large dissected leaves and large green hanging fruit: family Caricaceae

the fruit of this tree, having a yellow or reddish orange sweet edible pulp and small black seeds

Also called: papaw, pawpaw

Derived Forms

papayan, adjective

Word Origin for papaya

C15 papaye, from Spanish papaya, from an American Indian language; compare Carib ababai

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