sapodilla

noun

sap·o·dil·la ˌsa-pə-ˈdi-lə

-ˈdē-yə

: a tropical American evergreen tree (Manilkara zapota synonym 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

Examples of sapodilla in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web This region was famous for its crops of sapodilla, a brown, fleshy fruit slightly smaller than a tennis ball, as well as dates, coconuts and castor. —

Forbes Wealth Team, Forbes, 26 Jan. 2023 Every detail of the hotel's design, including sapodilla wood certified by the Forest Stewardship Council and limestone sourced from only 31 miles away, has been chosen for its minimal environmental impact. —

Nili Blanck, Travel + Leisure, 9 Nov. 2021 Several more hours in the minivan took us to the Mayan ruins of Palenque, a 7th century former city-state of stone temples surrounded by centuries-old red cedar, sapodilla and mahogany trees. —

Washington Post, 27 Aug. 2019

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sapodilla.' 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

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

First Known Use

1697, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler

The first known use of sapodilla was in 1697

See more words from the same year

Cite this Entry

Style

“Sapodilla.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sapodilla. Accessed 26 Sep. 2023.

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Kids Definition

sapodilla

noun

sap·o·dil·la ˌsap-ə-ˈdil-ə

: a tropical American evergreen tree with hard reddish wood, a rough-skinned brownish fruit with sweet flesh, and a milky sap that is the source of chicle