ackee

or ak·ee

[ ak-ee ]

noun
  1. an evergreen tree, Blighia sapida, of the soapberry family, native to tropical West Africa and introduced to Jamaica, where it has become a prominent and valued part of the island’s horticulture: a cultivated grove of ackees.

  2. the fruit of this tree, used in Caribbean cooking: although the black seeds and unripe arils are highly toxic, the fully ripened arils are edible and prized for their palatability: You must come to Jamaica for authentic ackee and saltfish—it’s our national dish.

Origin of ackee

1
First recorded in 1785–95; from a dialect of Kru, a West African family of languages
  • Also ac·hee .

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use ackee in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for ackee

ackee

akee

/ (ˈækiː) /


noun
    • a sapindaceous tree, Blighia sapida, native to tropical Africa and cultivated in the Caribbean for its fruit, edible when cooked

    • the red pear-shaped fruit of this tree

  1. a sapindaceous tree, Melicoccus bijugatus, that grows on some Caribbean islands and is valued for its timber and edible fruit

  1. the green tough-skinned berry of this tree

Origin of ackee

1
C18: of African origin

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