papaya

papaya pa*pa"ya, n. [Prob. from the native name in the West Indies; cf. Sp. papayo papaw, papaya the fruit of the papaw.] 1. (Bot.) A tree ({Carica Papaya}) of tropical America, belonging to the order {Passiflore[ae]}; called also {papaw} and {pawpaw}. 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. [1913 Webster +PJC]

2. The fruit of the papaya tree; it is a dull orange-colored, melon-shaped fruit, which is eaten both raw and cooked or pickled. The fruit contains {papain}, a protease. [1913 Webster + PJC]