- A tree (Carica Papaya) of tropical America, belonging to the
order Passifloreae. It has a soft, spongy stem, eighteen or twenty feet
high, crowned with a tuft of large, long-stalked, palmately lobed
leaves. The milky juice of the plant is said to have the property of
making meat tender. Also, its dull orange-colored, melon-shaped fruit,
which is eaten both raw and cooked or pickled. - A tree of the genus Asimina (A. triloba), growing in the
western and southern parts of the United States, and producing a sweet
edible fruit; also, the fruit itself.
Definition
[ n.]