persimmon

[ per-sim-uh n ]
/ pərˈsɪm ən /

noun

any of several trees of the genus Diospyros, especially D. virginiana, of North America, bearing astringent, plumlike fruit that is sweet and edible when ripe, and D. kaki, of Japan and China, bearing soft, red or orange fruit.
the fruit itself.

QUIZZES

HEED THE VOX POPULI, AND TAKE THIS WORD OF THE DAY QUIZ!

Test your memory on these verbal firecrackers from the week of June 29 to July 5!
Question 1 of 7
anchorite
a granular metamorphic rock.
a person who has retired to a solitary place for a life of religious seclusion.
a hobble or fetter for a horse or other animal.
TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of persimmon

1605–15, Americanism; < Virginia Algonquian (E spelling) pessemmins, pichamins, pushemins, putchamins (unidentified initial element + reflex of Proto-Algonquian *-min- fruit, berry)

Words nearby persimmon

persians, the, persicaria, persichetti, persiennes, persiflage, persimmon, persis, persist, persistence, persistence of memory, the, persistence of vision
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for persimmon

British Dictionary definitions for persimmon

persimmon
/ (pɜːˈsɪmən) /

noun

any of several tropical trees of the genus Diospyros, typically having hard wood and large orange-red fruit: family Ebenaceae
the sweet fruit of any of these trees, which is edible when completely ripe
See also ebony (def. 1)

Word Origin for persimmon

C17: of Algonquian origin; related to Delaware pasĭmĕnan dried fruit
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