![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
cherimoya (cher-uh-MOI-ya) - n., a tropical American tree, Annona cherimola, with velvety undersides to the leaves and yellow-to-brown fragrant flowers; the fruit of this tree, with leathery, scalelike skin and soft, white pulp.
The fruit is sometimes called a custard-apple, though that's more properly that of another tree from the same genus. Native to highland valleys of the Andes, now also widely cultivated in Africa. Wikipedia has more. Borrowed in 1736 (presumably at the same time as the fruit) from South American Spanish, of unknown origin (claims of Quechua chiri, cold + muyu, seed is probably spurious).
---L.
The fruit is sometimes called a custard-apple, though that's more properly that of another tree from the same genus. Native to highland valleys of the Andes, now also widely cultivated in Africa. Wikipedia has more. Borrowed in 1736 (presumably at the same time as the fruit) from South American Spanish, of unknown origin (claims of Quechua chiri, cold + muyu, seed is probably spurious).
---L.
