Persimmon
/pəˈsɪm.ən/noun
The edible orange fruit of several trees in the genus Diospyros.
Did you know?English adopted “persimmon” from an Indigenous Virginia Algonquian language, making it one of many everyday English words rooted in Native American languages.
Etymological Timeline
Pre-17th Century
Virginia Algonquian
pasimminan
“Persimmon fruit; commonly interpreted as fruit that is dried or becomes dry”
17th Century
English colonial usage
persimmon
“The fruit known in Virginia and surrounding regions”
1610s
English
persimmon
“A tree or fruit recorded in descriptions of the early English colonies”
18th Century
English
persimmon
“An established name for several North American persimmon species”
Modern English
English
persimmon
“The orange fruit, especially that of Diospyros virginiana or commercially grown Asian species”