Definition

Noun 1. A tropical fruit tree: Annona squamosa is the scientific name for a small, tropical, deciduous tree. 2. The fruit of this tree: The word also refers to the sweet, pulpy fruit produced by this tree, known commonly as sugar apple or sweetsop. The fruit has a distinctive thick, scaly, or knobby rind and contains shiny black seeds embedded in its creamy flesh.

Usage Examples

• As the tree:
  • The Annona squamosa in our garden finally bore fruit this year.
  • Farmers are cultivating Annona squamosa for its commercially valuable fruit.
• As the fruit:
  • The flesh of the Annona squamosa is deliciously sweet and custard-like.
  • We bought several Annona squamosa from the market.

Advanced Usage

• In botanical/formal contexts: The term is primarily used in scientific, agricultural, or formal descriptive contexts to specify this particular species within the genus, which includes other fruits like cherimoya () and soursop ().

Variants and Related Words

• Sugar apple: The most common common name for the fruit of .
• Sweetsop: Another widely used common name for the fruit.
• Custard apple: A common name sometimes used interchangeably, though it can also refer to other species or hybrids.
• Annona: The genus name, referring to the broader group of related trees and fruits.

Synonyms

• Sugar apple (noun, for the fruit)
• Sweetsop (noun, for the fruit)

Related Terms (Not direct synonyms)

• Cherimoya (): A related fruit with a smoother skin and slightly different flavor.
• Soursop (): A larger, spiky related fruit with tart flesh.
• Custard apple: Often used as a general term for fruits of the genus.

Noun

1. tropical American tree bearing sweet pulpy fruit with thick scaly rind and shiny black seeds