papaya

American  

[puh-pah-yuh] / pəˈpɑ jə /

noun

• papayas
  plural

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

2. the tree itself.

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papaya British  

/ pəˈpaɪə /

noun

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

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

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• papayan
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• papayas
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of papaya

1760–70; < Spanish < Carib (Hispaniola)

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Explanation

A papaya is a sweet tropical fruit with small, black seeds at the center. A papaya and banana smoothie makes a delicious and healthy breakfast. Most people eat papayas raw when the fruit is soft and ripe, although some find the smell of a perfectly ripe papaya to be terrible. Many Southeast Asian and South American cuisines include raw and cooked papaya, as well as green papaya and even the leaves of the papaya tree. Papayas are also called pawpaws, which gets a bit confusing since there's a totally different North American fruit also called a pawpaw.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

papaya papayas

He was unable to train that day because he had not had time to collect his kit after finishing work at a papaya plantation.

From Barron's ● Jun. 3, 2026

Here I am, in my house, surrounded by a yard filled with passion fruit, papaya, cucumbers, avocados, chard and yes, uchche.

From Salon ● May 9, 2026

I always order chicken sate and the green papaya salad.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 20, 2026

U.S. and Cook Islands government news releases showed him in a suit picking at pieces of pineapple and papaya as he sat opposite a group of diplomats in Hawaiian-style shirts.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 27, 2025

I crashed one papaya with a rock to slit it open, gave half of the fruit to Otto, kept half for myself, and settled down to eat.

From "Endangered" by Eliot Schrefer

During Vodou ceremonies, lwa are offered treats ranging from papayas and coffee to popcorn, lollipops and cheese puffs.

From Seattle Times ● May 9, 2024

If small-scale farmers grow fruit trees amid their crops, for example, they can eat those bananas or papayas themselves while selling the rest of the harvest.

From Science Daily ● Apr. 4, 2024

Researchers created the virus-resistant "transgenic" papaya, which now makes up the majority of papayas consumed worldwide.

From Salon ● May 9, 2023

The others include Rainbow papayas, which were modified to resist ringspot virus; a variety of sweet corn; some russet potatoes; and Arctic Apples, which were developed in Canada and resist browning.

From New York Times ● Jul. 20, 2021

Pua’s parents arrive bright and early with breakfast enchiladas, and Auntie Nina comes with a crate of papayas.

From "Clairboyance" by Kristiana Kahakauwila

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Related Words

• cantaloupe
• gourd
• watermelon

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