Cajuil
/kaˈxwil/noun
A Caribbean name for the cashew tree or its fruit, especially in the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico.
Did you know?The cashew shell contains urushiol, the same blister-producing chemical found in poison ivy, so raw cashews must be carefully processed before eating.
Etymological Timeline
Pre-Columbian period
Tupian
akajú
“The Indigenous name for the cashew tree or fruit in northeastern South America.”
16th Century
Portuguese
caju
“Cashew; borrowed from a Tupian language during Portuguese contact with Brazil.”
16th–17th Century
Spanish
cajú
“Cashew; the Spanish form adopted from Portuguese and Indigenous American usage.”
Colonial Caribbean
Spanish
cajuil
“A Caribbean variant referring to the cashew tree or fruit.”
Modern English
English
cajuil
“A regional loanword for cashew, chiefly used in Caribbean contexts.”