ac·e·ro·la ![]()
Share:
Tweet n. 1. A tropical American evergreen shrub (Malpighia glabra) having pinkish flowers and red cherrylike edible fruits that are rich in vitamin C. 2. The fruit of this plant, used to make jellies and preserves and as a nutritional supplement. In both senses also called Barbados cherry. [American Spanish, from Spanish acerola, azarolla, fruit of the Neapolitan medlar (Crataegus azarolus), a Mediterranean hawthorn bearing tart fruit used in confections and preserves, from Arabic az-zu'rūr (perhaps influenced by Latin cēreolus, wax-colored (plum)) : al-, the + zu'rūr, Neapolitan medlar (from or akin to Aramaic za'rārā, from Coptic srarooue : soure, thorn + arooue, arōou, Neapolitan medlar).] |
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.