coconut

Estimated CEFR level: C2 — Proficiency

Estimated from word frequency; not an official CEFR classification.

Definition

  1. noun the edible white meat of a coconut; often shredded for use in e.g. cakes and curries
  2. noun large hard-shelled oval nut with a fibrous husk containing thick white meat surrounding a central cavity filled (when fresh) with fluid or milk
  3. noun tall palm tree bearing coconuts as fruits; widely planted throughout the tropics

Etymology

From coco + nut. In reference to assimilated Hispanic or black people, derived from the fruit's exotic origins. The slur originates from the idea that one is "brown on the outside, white on the inside". In reference to Polynesians, from the ubiquity of coconut palms in the area.

In classic literature

Synonyms

coconut meat

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