cherimoya

American  

[cher-uh-moi-uh] / ˌtʃɛr əˈmɔɪ ə /

Rarely cherimoyer

noun

1. a tropical American tree, Annona cherimola, having leaves with velvety, hairy undersides and yellow-to-brown fragrant flowers.

2. the large, edible fruit of this tree, having leathery, scalelike skin and soft pulp.

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Etymology

Origin of cherimoya

First recorded in 1730–40; from Latin American Spanish chirimoya, name of the fruit; of uncertain origin; alleged analysis as Quechua chiri “cold” + muyu “wheel, circle” is probably spurious

Example Sentences

In 2003, Acevedo poured most of his retirement money into buying the avocado orchard where he also grows a smattering of other fruit such as mandarins, cherimoya and pomegranates.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 20, 2024

"It is commonly referred to as the 'custard apple' because of all the sweetness. Try a cherimoya and you'll understand why Mark Twain called the fruit 'the most delicious known to man.'"

From Salon • Mar. 12, 2022

But there are also illustrations of fruits I’ve never heard of: chayote, sweetsop, cherimoya, sapodilla, passiflora and mammee apple.

From Washington Post • Jun. 21, 2021

There can’t be many cevicherias in Lima where the tart and spicy marinade for raw scallops and soft hunks of avocado is made from cherimoya purée.

From New York Times • Nov. 12, 2019

The cherimoya, native of the highlands of Central America, has long been cultivated, and its fruit has been classed, with the pineapple and the mangosteen, as one of the three finest fruits in the world.

From Trees Worth Knowing by Rogers, Julia Ellen