rambutan

noun

ram·​bu·​tan ram-ˈbü-tᵊn How to pronounce rambutan (audio)
: a bright red spiny Malayan fruit closely related to the lychee
also : a tree (Nephelium lappaceum) of the soapberry family that bears this fruit

Examples of rambutan in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Roadside fruit stands are bright with lychees, rambutans, and guavas, and Matsumoto Shave Ice and Giovanni’s Shrimp Truck in Haleiwa are required eating on the island. Chelsee Lowe, Travel + Leisure, 12 Apr. 2023 The formula contains ferulic acid with retinol plus bakuchiol and rambutan leaf extract, which are natural retinol alternatives. Harper's Bazaar Staff, Harper's BAZAAR, 31 Jan. 2023 If your goal is to get smoother under-eyes without any fine lines, this product uses retinol, bakuchiol—a common retinol dupe—and anti-aging rambutan to treat all those concerns. Nerisha Penrose, ELLE, 31 Jan. 2023 Seeking sustenance and refuge in the still fertile regions in the north of the country, the bats settled into cultivated orchards of mango, durian, water apple and rambutan that just so happened to be commonly interspersed with piggeries. Rebecca Kreston, Discover Magazine, 30 Apr. 2013 And then in the next shopping center down, the tiny Winglee market is a hidden gem for Southeast Asian fruits such as rambutan and green mango. Andi Berlin, The Arizona Republic, 26 May 2021 Ackee — a member of the soapberry family, along with fruits like lychee, rambutan and longan — can be toxic when underripe or improperly handled, so canned product from approved producers is the only (legal) way to try it in the States. Dominic Armato, azcentral, 24 Feb. 2020 Now, there are two large Berkeley Bowl locations that have become renowned for their diverse and affordable selections of fresh vegetables and fruit, such as spindly Buddha’s hand, fuzzy red rambutan, aromatic epazote leaves and long burdock roots. Janelle Bitker, SFChronicle.com, 20 Feb. 2020 Sheila and Ryan O’Leary told investigators that the vegan family only eats fruit, vegetables and raw foods, such as mangoes, rambutans, bananas and avocados, according to the News-Press. Deanna Paul, Washington Post, 22 Nov. 2019

Word History

Etymology

Malay

First Known Use

1707, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of rambutan was in 1707

Dictionary Entries Near rambutan

Cite this Entry

“Rambutan.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rambutan. Accessed 17 Dec. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on rambutan

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!