persimmon

• POS: Noun
• HYPHEN: per=sim=mon

CIDE DICTIONARY

persimmon, n. [Virginia Indian.].

 An American tree (Diospyros Virginiana) and its fruit, found from New York southward. The fruit is like a plum in appearance, but is very harsh and astringent until it has been exposed to frost, when it becomes palatable and nutritious.  [1913 Webster]

Japanese persimmon, Diospyros Kaki and its red or yellow edible fruit, which outwardly resembles a tomato, but contains a few large seeds.

OXFORD DICTIONARY

persimmon, n.
1 any usu. tropical evergreen tree of the genus Diospyros bearing edible tomato-like fruits.
2 the fruit of this.

Etymology

corrupt. of an Algonquian word