Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A tree (Nephelium lappaceum) of Southeast Asia, bearing edible oval red fruit with soft spines.
  • noun The fruit of this tree, having juicy white flesh surrounding a single seed.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun The fruit of Nephelium lappaceum, a lofty tree of the Malay archipelago.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun (Bot.) A Malayan fruit produced by the tree Nephelium lappaceum, and closely related to the litchi nut. It is bright red, oval in shape, covered with coarse hairs (whence the name), and contains a pleasant acid pulp. Called also ramboostan.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun A tree, Nephelium lappaceum, of Southeast Asia.
  • noun The fruit of this tree.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun Malayan tree bearing spiny red fruit
  • noun pleasantly acid bright red oval Malayan fruit covered with soft spines

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Malay, from rambut, hair (from its hairy covering).]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Malay rambutan, English usage first attested 1707.

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Examples

  • She might mean a culogo, but they would not be found in rambutan trees.

    Archive 2004-12-01 Sharon Bakar 2004

  • She might mean a culogo, but they would not be found in rambutan trees.

    Reply To Susan Abrahams Sharon Bakar 2004

  • This subject is mentioned elsewhere: see chapter on the Arts and Sciences of the Singhalese.] _The use of fruit_ -- Fruits are abundant and wholesome; but with the exception of oranges, pineapples, the luscious mango and the indescribable "rambutan," for want of horticultural attention they are inferior in flavour, and soon cease to be alluring.

    Ceylon; an Account of the Island Physical, Historical, and Topographical with Notices of Its Natural History, Antiquities and Productions, Volume 1 (of 2) James Emerson Tennent 1836

  • They are slowly smoked using wood from the rambutan tree before being sent to local markets and abroad.

    Fishery Zones for Indonesia 2011

  • But I personally prefer mangosteen or rambutan, though.

    The right attitude to eat durian Jerine 2009

  • But I personally prefer mangosteen or rambutan, though.

    Archive 2009-02-01 Jerine 2009

  • A block from Honolulu Harbor, a wide pedestrian lane called Kekaulike runs between two rows of old brick buildings, lined with palm trees and cardboard boxes piled high with fragrant papayas, apple bananas, pineapples, and spiky, ruby-colored rambutan.

    American Chinatown Bonnie Tsui 2009

  • A block from Honolulu Harbor, a wide pedestrian lane called Kekaulike runs between two rows of old brick buildings, lined with palm trees and cardboard boxes piled high with fragrant papayas, apple bananas, pineapples, and spiky, ruby-colored rambutan.

    American Chinatown Bonnie Tsui 2009

  • A block from Honolulu Harbor, a wide pedestrian lane called Kekaulike runs between two rows of old brick buildings, lined with palm trees and cardboard boxes piled high with fragrant papayas, apple bananas, pineapples, and spiky, ruby-colored rambutan.

    American Chinatown Bonnie Tsui 2009

  • A block from Honolulu Harbor, a wide pedestrian lane called Kekaulike runs between two rows of old brick buildings, lined with palm trees and cardboard boxes piled high with fragrant papayas, apple bananas, pineapples, and spiky, ruby-colored rambutan.

    American Chinatown Bonnie Tsui 2009

Comments

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  • Now that's what I call kinky

    January 24, 2008

  • Least you didn't choose the Durian....

    January 24, 2008

  • As featured in the Oscar Wilde classic The Picture of Durian Gray

    January 24, 2008

  • Dorian's lesser-known first cousin...

    January 24, 2008

  • Durian Durian

    Simon Le Bon's first failed attempt at stardom.

    January 24, 2008

  • I must disagree with most of the given definitions listed for this one.

    October 30, 2009

  • Why?

    October 30, 2009

  • I misspoke - I disagree with the two very general definitions listed, solely on the grounds that they are way too general - "a tree bearing edible fruit" could include apples/oranges or limes/coconuts as well (and mixing either of those is frowned upon nod to Harry Nilsson). "Edible reproductive body of a seed plant..." could be anything from grapes to rose hips. I know, I'm picky. A similar overly-general definition might be "a human is an animal with two eyes" - true, but almost useless.

    October 30, 2009