durian

or du·ri·on

[ door-ee-uhn, -ahn ]

noun

1. the edible fruit of a tree, Durio zibethinus, of the bombax family, of southeastern Asia, having a hard, prickly rind, a highly flavored, pulpy flesh, and an unpleasant odor.
2. the tree itself.

durian

/ ˈdjʊərɪən /

noun

1. a SE Asian bombacaceous tree, Durio zibethinus, having very large oval fruits with a hard spiny rind containing seeds surrounded by edible evil-smelling aril
2. the fruit of this tree, which has an offensive smell but a pleasant taste: supposedly an aphrodisiac

Word History and Origins

Origin of durian¹

1580–90; < Malay: a fruit with spiky skin, equivalent to duri thorn + -an nominalizer suffix

Word History and Origins

Origin of durian¹

C16: from Malay, from duri thorn

Example Sentences

And then Vietnamese farmers pivoted to a smelly, yellow fruit - the durian.

From BBC

And Vietnamese farmers are replacing their coffee crops with durian to cash in on this emerging market.

From BBC

Vietnam's durian market share in China almost doubled between 2023 and 2024, and some estimate the crop is five times more lucrative than coffee.

From BBC

As they flooded China with durian, Robusta coffee exports were down 50% in June compared to the previous June, and stocks were now "near depleted", according to the International Coffee Organisation.

From BBC

“There’s fruits, jackfruit and durian, these look like ‘Avatar’ fruits,’” Mulaney joked.

From Los Angeles Times