guava

noun gua·va \ ˈgwä-və \

Updated on: 8 Apr 2018

Definition of guava

1 : any of several tropical American shrubs or small trees (genus Psidium) of the myrtle family; especially : a shrubby tree (P. guajava) widely cultivated for its yellow-skined fruit with sweet acid yellow or pink flesh

2 : the roundish to pear-shaped fruit of a guava

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Recent Examples of guava from the Web

Spread it on crackers or a bagel, drizzled with his tasty Smack Daddy’s Smokin’ Hot Sauce (which is not too hot) made with three kinds of peppers, mustard, and guava for a touch of sweetness.

— lisa b. zwirn, BostonGlobe.com, "Food & Travel: A feast of options at the West Palm Beach GreenMarket," 2 Apr. 2018
The booths will highlight five Sculpin IPA beers: Sculpin, Unfiltered Sculpin, Grapefruit Sculpin, Pineapple Sculpin and Aloha Sculpin, which is infused with mango and guava.

— pam kragen, sandiegouniontribune.com, "New eats inside Petco Park this baseball season," 29 Mar. 2018
There is a stand where churros — filled with chocolate, dulce de leche, pineapple, cream cheese or guava — are made.

— james wagner, New York Times, "The Supermarket Cafeteria That Major League Baseball Players Love," 20 Mar. 2018
Nasser ducks behind a doorway and returns with a manhole-cover-size platter of fresh dates, bananas, and guava perched on his arm.

— bronwen dickey, Popular Mechanics, "The Lost Kids on the Line," 14 Mar. 2018
This is a plantain wrapped with bacon and topped with guava marmalade, queso blanco and cilantro.

— ted berg, For The Win, "All 30 foods at MLB's new 'FoodFest,' ranked by how much I want to try them," 13 Mar. 2018
Don’t skip the duck carnitas, which feature a sweet and smoky guava chipotle sauce and crispy tufts of fried onion skin.

— mark kurlyandchik, Detroit Free Press, "Best New Restaurant #5: M Cantina, Dearborn," 14 Feb. 2018
There are orchards of guava and custard apple, and plantings of roses and jasmine for scent and color.

— ingrid abramovitch, ELLE Decor, "House Tour: Inside The Rustic Indian Farmhouse Where A Jewel Scion Feels Most At Home," 12 Dec. 2017
In a bit of whimsy, foie gras is sandwiched inside a pastelito with Redland guava jam.

— linda bladholm, miamiherald, "The hottest French restaurant in the Miami area? It’s in Hialeah," 15 Feb. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'guava.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Did You Know?

This is any of many trees and shrubs of a genus that is native to the New World tropics. The two important species are common guava and cattley, or strawberry, guava. The sweet pulp of the common guava fruit has a musky, sometimes pungent odor. The pulp of the strawberry guava fruit has a strawberry-like flavor. Guavas are processed into jams, jellies, and preserves. Fresh guavas are rich in vitamins A, B, and C. They are eaten raw, sliced, and are often served in desserts.

Origin and Etymology of guava

Spanish guaba, guayaba, perhaps from Taino

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1604

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GUAVA Defined for English Language Learners

guava

noun

Definition of guava for English Language Learners

: the sweet yellow fruit of a tropical American tree
: a tree that produces guavas

GUAVA Defined for Kids

guava

noun gua·va \ ˈgwä-və \

Definition of guava for Students

: the sweet fruit of a tropical American tree that has yellow or pink pulp

Learn More about guava

See words that rhyme with guava Spanish Central: Translation of guava Nglish: Translation of guava for Spanish speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about guava

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guava

Definition of guava

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Origin and Etymology of guava

GUAVA Defined for English Language Learners

guava

Definition of guava for English Language Learners

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guava

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