cherimoya

[ cher-uh-moi-uh ]

noun
  1. a tropical American tree, Annona cherimola, having leaves with velvety, hairy undersides and yellow-to-brown fragrant flowers.

  2. the large, edible fruit of this tree, having leathery, scalelike skin and soft pulp.

Origin of cherimoya

1
First recorded in 1730–40; from Latin American Spanish chirimoya, name of the fruit; of uncertain origin; alleged analysis as Quechua chiri “cold” + muyu “wheel, circle” is probably spurious
  • Rarely cher·i·moy·er [cher-uh-moi-er], /ˌtʃɛr əˈmɔɪ ər/, cher·i·mol·la [cher-uh-moi-uh], /ˌtʃɛr əˈmɔɪ ə/, chirimoya.

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