baobab

[ bey-oh-bab, bah-oh-, bou-bab ]

noun

1. any large tree belonging to the genus Adansonia, of the bombax family, especially A. digitata, which is native to tropical Africa, has an exceedingly thick trunk, and bears a gourdlike fruit.

baobab

/ ˈbeɪəʊˌbæb /

noun

1. a bombacaceous tree, Adansonia digitata , native to Africa, that has a very thick trunk, large white flowers, and a gourdlike fruit with an edible pulp called monkey bread Also calledbottle treemonkey bread tree

Word History and Origins

Origin of baobab¹

First recorded in 1630–40, baobab is from the New Latin word bahobab, first cited in a description of the tree's fruit by Italian physician and botanist Prospero Alpini (1553–1616 or 17); origin obscure

Word History and Origins

Origin of baobab¹

C17: probably from a native African word

Example Sentences

Ground baobab fruit, peanut butter, milk and leafy green vegetables are stirred into the porridge to add extra nutrients.

From BBC

Even her hardy baobab tree produced hardly any fruit.

From BBC

Quote: Professor Andrew Leitch at Queen Mary University of London said, "We were delighted to be involved in this project uncovering patterns of baobab speciation in Madagascar followed by the astonishing long-distance dispersal of two species, one to Africa and another to Australia. This was accompanied by the evolution of some fascinating pollination syndromes involving hawkmoths, lemurs and bats."

From Science Daily

Quote: Dr. Ilia Leitch at Royal Botanic Garden Kew said, "This work has uncovered new insights into the patterns of speciation in baobabs and shows how climate change has influenced baobab distribution and speciation patterns over millions of years."

From Science Daily

The work also provides new insights into how climate change has influenced baobab distribution and speciation patterns over millions of years'.

From Science Daily