Xylocarp
/ˈzaɪ.lə.kɑːrp/noun
A fruit with a hard, woody shell or husk.
Did you know?Xylocarp is a learned scientific term built from Greek roots, and it survives in botany as a reminder that some fruits are basically nature’s armored vaults.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
xýlon
“wood; a piece of wood”
Ancient Greek
Greek
karpós
“fruit; produce”
19th Century
English
xylocarp
“a fruit with a woody shell or hard husk”
Modern English
English
xylocarp
“a botanical term for a hard, woody fruit”