Chayote
/tʃaɪˈoʊti/noun
A pear-shaped, green or white edible fruit of a tropical vine, also called a vegetable pear.
Did you know?Chayote entered English through Spanish during the colonial era, preserving a Nahuatl plant name rather than replacing it with a European one.
Etymological Timeline
Before 16th Century
Nahuatl
chayotli
“Chayote; a prickly or spiny squash-like fruit”
16th Century
Spanish
chayote
“The edible fruit known in Mesoamerica by its Nahuatl name”
17th Century
French
chayote
“A cultivated tropical plant and its fruit”
18th Century
English
chayote
“A tropical edible fruit, adopted as a loanword”
Modern English
English
chayote
“The edible green fruit, commonly cooked as a vegetable”