acerola

[ as-uh-roh-luh ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

the cherrylike fruit of a small tree, Malpighia glabra, of the West Indies and adjacent areas, having a high concentration of vitamin C.
the tree itself.

acerola

/ ˌæsəˈrəʊlə /

noun

a small tree or shrub, Malpighia glabra , that grows in the rainforests of N South America, Central America, and Jamaica
the small, soft, bright red fruit of this tree, which looks like a cherry but has a sharp flavour

Discover More

Word History and Origins

Origin of acerola¹

First recorded in 1940–45; from Latin American Spanish, Spanish: a species of hawthorn, Crataegus azarolus, from Arabic al-zuʿrūr “the acerola”

Discover More

Word History and Origins

Origin of acerola¹

C21: from Portuguese

Word of the Day

April 18, 2024petrichor

[pet-ri-kawr]

Meaning and examples

Start each day with the Word of the Day in your inbox!

By clicking "Sign Up", you are accepting Dictionary.com Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policies.

acerbity acerose

Browse