baobab

ba·o·bab  (b-bb, bä-)

n.

Any of several trees of the genus Adansonia of Africa, Madagascar, and Australia, especially the tropical African species A. digitata having a broad swollen trunk that stores water, palmately compound leaves, and edible gourdlike hanging fruits.

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[Possibly from North African Arabic bibab, fruit of many seeds, from Arabic 'ab ibb, source of seeds : 'ab, father, source; see b in Semitic roots + ibb, pl. of abb, seed.]

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baobab [ˈbeɪəʊˌbæb]

n

(Life Sciences & Allied Applications / Plants) a bombacaceous tree, Adansonia digitata, native to Africa, that has a very thick trunk, large white flowers, and a gourdlike fruit with an edible pulp called monkey bread Also called bottle tree monkey bread tree

[probably from a native African word]

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

baobab - African tree having an exceedingly thick trunk and fruit that resembles a gourd and has an edible pulp called monkey bread Adansonia digitata, monkey-bread tree monkey bread, sour gourd - African gourd-like fruit with edible pulp Adansonia, genus Adansonia - baobab; cream-of-tartar tree angiospermous tree, flowering tree - any tree having seeds and ovules contained in the ovary