noun Uncommon

avocado

a-vuh-KAH-doh

Avocado (noun) means a pear-shaped fruit with rich, buttery green flesh and a large central stone, eaten as a savoury food. Example: “She mashed a ripe avocado onto her toast.”

noun

A pear-shaped fruit with rich, buttery green flesh and a large central stone, eaten as a savoury food.

"She mashed a ripe avocado onto her toast."

"The salad was topped with sliced avocado and lime."

The tropical tree that produces this fruit.

"They planted an avocado tree in the back garden."

adj

A dull, yellowish-green colour, like the fruit's skin.

"The bathroom suite was an outdated avocado green."

How to use avocado

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishThe soft green fruit used in guacamole and on toast.

Common pairings

avocado toast ripe avocado avocado oil

Word forms

avocados plural, avocadoes plural

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She mashed a ripe _____ onto her toast.

Etymology

Via Spanish aguacate from the Nahuatl āhuacatl. First recorded in English in a 1696 list of Jamaican plants.

Origin: Spanish · First attested 1696

Class of 1696 avocado joined the language around 1696.

botany

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Synonyms

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aguacate avocado pear avocado tree alligator pear

Rhymes for avocado

ado dado fado mado Sado Prado mikado Dorado tornado Delgado bravado Corrado

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Frequently asked questions

What does “avocado” mean?

The word “avocado” means a pear-shaped fruit with rich, buttery green flesh and a large central stone, eaten as a savoury food. In plain terms, the soft green fruit used in guacamole and on toast.

How do you pronounce “avocado”?

“Avocado” is pronounced a-vuh-KAH-doh (/ˌævəˈkɑːdəʊ̯/ in IPA).

How do you use “avocado” in a sentence?

Here is “avocado” used in a sentence: “She mashed a ripe avocado onto her toast.”

What part of speech is “avocado”?

Depending on how it is used, “avocado” can be a noun and an adjective.

Where does the word “avocado” come from?

The word “avocado” dates back to around 1696 and comes from Spanish. Via Spanish aguacate from the Nahuatl āhuacatl. First recorded in English in a 1696 list of Jamaican plants.

Is “avocado” a common word?

“Avocado” is an uncommon word in modern English.

How many meanings does “avocado” have?

“Avocado” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a pear-shaped fruit with rich, buttery green flesh and a large central stone, eaten as a savoury food.

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Vocabulary lists that include avocado:

Words with Spanish origins Words that end with O