papaya

noun

pa·​pa·​ya pə-ˈpī-ə 

: a tropical American tree (Carica papaya of the family Caricaceae, the papaya family) having an oblong to globose yellow edible fruit with numerous black seeds in a central cavity

also : its fruit

Examples of papaya in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

El Niño could result in crop losses and planting delays in Brazil for onions, potatoes, tomatoes, carrots, apples and grapes, and lower reservoir levels could disrupt mango, papaya and grape crops, analysts wrote. — Ty Roush, Forbes.com, 8 July 2026

On one end, the route took the avocado and papaya from Mexico to Asia. — Daniel Hernandez, Los Angeles Times, 24 June 2026

Some of the highest discounts include 30% off the 35-ounce YETI Rambler tumbler in select colors, including summery shades like peach, papaya and seafoam. — ABC News, 23 June 2026

There’s a strong push towards bright polishes softened by clear finishes, from papaya-orange jellies to sea-green cat-eyes. — Ariel Wodarcyk, InStyle, 20 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Spanish, borrowed from Taino papaya (or from a cognate Arawakan word)

First Known Use

1598, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for papaya

• messiah
• nyaya
• pariah
• rupiah
• shariah
• vinaya
• gaia
• maia
• maya
• playa
• via
• hezekiah

Kids Definition

papaya

noun

pa·​pa·​ya pə-ˈpī-ə 

: an oblong edible yellow fruit with many black seeds that grows on a tropical American tree with large leaves

also : the tree

Medical Definition

papaya

noun

pa·​pa·​ya pə-ˈpī-ə 

: a tropical American tree of the genus Carica (C. papaya) with large oblong yellow edible fruit

also : its fruit which is the source of papain