Cashew
/ˈkæʃuː/noun
The edible kidney-shaped nut of a tropical tree, or the tree itself.
Did you know?The English word comes through Portuguese from a Tupi term for the cashew apple, showing how Indigenous American plant names were carried into global trade routes.
Etymological Timeline
Tupi
Tupi
acajú
“The cashew tree or its fruit”
16th Century
Portuguese
caju
“The cashew fruit”
16th-17th Century
Portuguese
caju / cajuí
“Cashew and cashew-related plant names used in colonial trade”
16th-17th Century
Dutch / English
cashew
“Borrowed form referring to the tropical nut and fruit”
Modern English
English
cashew
“The edible nut and the tree that bears it”
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