baobab

UK: /ˈbeɪəʊˌbæb/

US: /ˈbeɪoʊˌbæb/

US: (bā′ō bab′, bä′ō-, bou′bab)

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

ba•o•bab /ˈbeɪoʊˌbæb/   n. [countable]

1. Plant Biology a large tropical African tree that has an extremely thick trunk and a gourdlike fruit.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

ba•o•bab  (bā′ō bab′, bä′ō-, bou′bab), n. 

1. Plant Biology any large tree belonging to the genus Adansonia, of the bombax family, esp. A. digitata, which is native to tropical Africa, has an exceedingly thick trunk, and bears a gourdlike fruit.

• Neo-Latin bahobab, first cited in a description of the tree's fruit by Italian physician and botanist Prospero Alpini (1553–1616 or 17); origin, originally obscure
• 1630–40

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

baobab / ˈbeɪəʊˌbæb/ noun

1. 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

Etymology: 17th Century: probably from a native African word