pawpaw

American  

[paw-paw] / ˈpɔˌpɔ /

Also papaw

noun

pawpaws plural

1. a tree, Asimina triloba, of the annona family, native to the eastern United States, having large, oblong leaves and purplish flowers.

2. the fleshy, edible fruit of this tree.

3. papaya.

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pawpaw British  

/ ˈpɔːˌpɔː /

noun

1. a variant of papaw papaya

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• pawpaws
  plural

Etymology

Origin of pawpaw

First recorded in 1620–30; unexplained variant of papaye “papaya”; see papaya

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

pawpaw pawpaws

Finger limes, pomelos, pawpaw and sapote, to name a handful.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 17, 2025

He went from standard citrus, apricot and avocado to a more exotic collection, adding finger limes, valentine pummelos, jaboticaba, cherimoya and pawpaw.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 20, 2025

Then, in 1990, the pawpaw got another push.

From Salon ● Aug. 14, 2024

Despite the rising recognition of the pawpaw, its uniqueness is at once a valuable trait and a major roadblock.

From Salon ● Aug. 14, 2024

She walks past the pawpaw tree, past the rows of gangly bird of paradise, past the house of her neighbor, Ilda Limon, and down a sandy path skirting the beach.

From "Dreaming in Cuban" by Cristina García

Fryar, who wrote a book about the Potomac after discovering its hidden wilds, plans to stop foraging for pawpaws and a leafy green called sochan.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 19, 2026

This wouldn't be surprising since pawpaws are incredibly fragile.

From Salon ● Aug. 14, 2024

Like peaches or pears, pawpaws produce ethylene, a hormone that causes the fruit to soften and brown.

From Salon ● Aug. 14, 2024

For pawpaws, the lack of precedent becomes most evident when it comes time to harvest and store the fruit.

From Salon ● Aug. 14, 2024

Ma tossed her hoe onto a bunch of plantains in a farm basket as Mawuli came up behind her, balancing another basket on his head with ripe pawpaws at the top.

From "Flying Through Water" by Mamle Wolo