sapodilla

sap·o·dil·la

noun \ˌsa-pə-ˈdi-lə, -ˈdē-yə\

Definition of SAPODILLA

: a tropical American evergreen tree (Manilkara zapota syn. Achras zapota of the family Sapotaceae, the sapodilla family) with hard reddish wood, a latex that yields chicle, and a rough-skinned brownish fruit with sweet flesh; also : its fruit

Illustration of SAPODILLA

Origin of SAPODILLA

Spanish zapotillo, diminutive of zapote sapodilla fruit, from Nahuatl tzapotl

First Known Use: 1697

Rhymes with SAPODILLA

barathea, bougainvillea, camarilla, Caesarea, cascarilla, Cytherea, diarrhea, dulcinea, Eritrea, fantasia, Galatea, gonorrhea, hamartia, Hialeah, Idumaea, Ituraea, Kampuchea, latakia, Latakia, logorrhea, mythopoeia, Nicosia, panacea, Parousia, pizzeria, pyorrhea, ratafia, Santeria, seborrhea, sinfonia, Tanzania, trattoria

sapodilla

noun    (Concise Encyclopedia)

Sapodilla (Manilkara, or Achras, zapota)—Walter Dawn

Tropical evergreen tree (Manilkara zapota, or Achras zapota) and its distinctive fruit, of the family Sapotaceae, native to southern Mexico and northern Central America. The rusty-brown fruit is eaten fresh in many tropical and subtropical areas. Its sweet flavour has been compared to a combination of pears and brown sugar. When the fruit is ripe, its shiny black seeds are surrounded by clear, yellowish brown, juicy flesh; when immature, its flesh contains both tannin and milky latex and is distasteful. The latex is the chief source of gum chicle, once important in the chewing-gum industry.