acerola

noun

ac·​er·​o·​la ˌa-sə-ˈrō-lə How to pronounce acerola (audio)
: any of several tropical American shrubs (genus Malpighia of the family Malpighiaceae)
especially : a large shrub or small tree (Malpighia glabra synonym M. punicifolia) found from Texas to northern South America and the West Indies that has mildly acid cherrylike fruits very rich in vitamin C

Examples of acerola in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Made with real, whole-food ingredients like acerola cherry, amla berry, and hyaluronic acid, PlantFusion Vegan Collagen Beauty is not only effective but also delicious. Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 30 June 2023 Retinol has long been promoted as a beauty enhancer, and their black cherry, acerola and pomegranate concoction is the first drinkable version, the company says. Michele Corriston, PEOPLE.com, 8 July 2019

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'acerola.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from American Spanish, going back to Spanish, "fruit of the hawthorn Crataegus azarolus," earlier (14th-century Aragon) azarolla, borrowed from Arabic az-zaʽrūra, from az (assimilated form of al "the") + zaʽrūra, zuʽrūra, derivative of zuʽrūr "the hawthorn Crataegus azarolus"

First Known Use

1875, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of acerola was in 1875

Dictionary Entries Near acerola

Cite this Entry

“Acerola.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/acerola. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Medical Definition

acerola

noun
ac·​er·​o·​la ˌas-ə-ˈrō-lə How to pronounce acerola (audio)
: a West Indian shrub (genus Malpighia) with mildly acid cherrylike fruits rich in vitamin C
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