Definition

1. Noun:
   • A tropical fruit: A sapodilla is a round or oval fruit with a rough, brownish skin and sweet, brownish pulp. The flesh is often described as having a malty, pear-like flavor.
   • The evergreen tree that bears this fruit: A sapodilla is also a large, tropical American evergreen tree (Manilkara zapota) known for producing chicle (a latex used in chewing gum) and the edible sapodilla fruit.

Examples

• Noun (Fruit):
  • The sapodilla was perfectly ripe and incredibly sweet.
  • We bought some sapodillas from the market to try.
• Noun (Tree):
  • The old sapodilla in the garden provides excellent shade.
  • Chicle, historically used for chewing gum, is harvested from the sapodilla tree.

Advanced Usage

• Botanical Context: In botanical or agricultural texts, "sapodilla" precisely refers to the species .
  • The sapodilla is cultivated in many tropical regions for its fruit and latex.

Variants and Related Words

• Sapodilla plum: Another name for the fruit of the sapodilla tree.
  • Sapodilla plum is a common dessert fruit in the tropics.
• Sapota: A less common synonym for both the tree and the fruit.
• Naseberry: A regional name for the fruit, used in some parts of the Caribbean.

Synonyms

• Naseberry (for the fruit).
• Chiku (a common name in South Asia).
• Chicle tree (when referring to the tree as a source of latex).

Noun

1. tropical fruit with a rough brownish skin and very sweet brownish pulp
2. large tropical American evergreen yielding chicle gum and edible fruit; sometimes placed in genus Achras