Avocado
/ˌæv.əˈkɑː.doʊ/noun
A pear-shaped tropical fruit with thick green or black skin, creamy flesh, and a large central stone.
Did you know?Aztecs revered avocados as aphrodisiacs, believing the fruit's testicle-like shape infused eaters with potent life force and sexual energy during sacred ceremonies.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Nahuan
PN
*āwakatl
“testicle”
Classical Period (14th-16th C.)
Nahuatl
āhuacatl
“testicle; avocado (fruit named for shape)”
16th Century
Spanish
aguacate
“avocado”
1690s
English
avocado
“alligator pear (tropical fruit)”
Modern English
English
avocado
“creamy-fleshed green fruit”