baobab

American  

[bey-oh-bab, bah-oh-, bou-bab] / ˈbeɪ oʊˌbæb, ˈbɑ oʊ-, ˈbaʊ bæb /

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.

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baobab British  

/ ˈbeɪəʊˌbæb /

noun

1. Also called: bottle tree.   monkey bread tree.  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

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Etymology

Origin of baobab

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

Example Sentences

They keep count as Raffy whacks a baobab fruit eight times or note which arm he uses to do so -- although chimps are normally left-handed.

From Barron's • Jan. 15, 2026

Zoom out and these pointillist patterns are colorful doubles of the black-and-white photographs of baobab trees mounted in the foreground.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 5, 2025

They are calling for a higher conservation status for two endangered Malagasy species, including the biggest and most famous of Madagascar's baobabs, the giant baobab.

From BBC • May 15, 2024

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

From Science Daily • May 15, 2024

I want to throw my arms around her and squeeze her as tight as I can, but right now she seems harder to hug than the baobab trees.

From "Dragons in a Bag" by Zetta Elliott