rambutan

American  

[ram-boot-n] / ræmˈbut n /

noun

1. the bright-red oval fruit of a Malayan, sapindaceous tree, Nephelium lappaceum, covered with soft spines, or hairs, and having a subacid taste.

2. the tree itself.

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rambutan British  

/ ræmˈbuːtən /

noun

1. a sapindaceous tree, Nephelium lappaceum , native to SE Asia, that has bright red edible fruit

2. the fruit of this tree

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Etymology

Origin of rambutan

1700–10; < Malay, equivalent to rambut hair + -an nominalizing suffix

Example Sentences

He said Vietnam expects to begin exporting longan to Japan in September, followed by other produce such as grapefruit, avocado and rambutan, while opening its market for Japanese grapes.

From Reuters • May 1, 2022

Coconuts, jackfruit and rambutan, a lychee-like fruit, were already growing there.

From Seattle Times • Nov. 23, 2020

Hahn later moved to Hawaii, where he lived for about three years growing rambutan — a tropical fruit that is similar to lychee — before moving to Seattle and eventually back to Los Angeles.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 1, 2018

There were lychee nuts and jackfruit, spiky durian and something pink called rambutan, which resembled sea anemones dredged from the deep.

From Washington Post • May 8, 2016

Sergio carefully pulls a rambutan off its stem and gently cuts into it with his pocketknife.

From "Marcus Vega Doesn't Speak Spanish" by Pablo Cartaya