English Reference

Word

papaya

Phoneticspa·paya

US/pəˈpaɪə/

UK/pɐpˈaɪɐ/

Definition

n. a tropical fruit with a yellow or orange flesh and a green skin. It is known for being very sweet and soft, and it is often used in fruit salads or smoothies.

n. a tropical fruit of the genus Carica, characterized by its yellow or orange flesh and green skin. It is widely cultivated for its sweet, soft pulp and is a significant source of the enzyme papain.

Examples

“I added some fresh papaya to my morning smoothie.”

“The chef sliced the ripe papaya into thin pieces to serve as a colorful topping for the grilled fish.”

Examples

simple

“I added some fresh papaya to my morning smoothie.”

contextual

“The chef sliced the ripe papaya into thin pieces to serve as a colorful topping for the grilled fish.”

Real-World Examples

“Cordoba, Argentina, and Mombasa, Kenya, are as different as a steak dinner and a papaya smoothie.”
BBC · 25 Feb 2022

Etymology

Borrowed from Spanish papaya, from Lokono papáia. Possibility a doublet of pawpaw.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry

Level
B2 · Upper Intermediate
Frequency
Occasional
Updated

Scan code

English Reference