Dictionary

Chinese gooseberry en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• (US) audio

Etymology

From Chinese, as the tree is native to central and eastern China, + gooseberry, from superficial resemblance to the fruit.

Meanings

1. The fruit of the carambola tree, Averrhoa carambola.
   • The Carambola, also called Chinese Gooseberry or star fruit, is one of the most exotically-shaped fruits. 1986, The Courier, Volumes 89-100, Commission of the European Communities, page 60:
   • The Chinese gooseberry is over three inches long, and, when cut through, its section forms a perfect star. 1859, All the Year Round: A Weekly Journal, Volume 1, Charles Dickens, page 17:
   • The Chinese gooseberry, (which fruit here grows on a tree, instead of a shrub). 1837, The New-York Mirror, Volume 15, George P. Morris, page 221:
2. Kiwifruit, the edible berry of certain vines of the genus Actinidia, especially Actinidia deliciosa and Actinidia chinensis.
   • Pavlova, that well intentioned Australian dessert (named after a Russian ballerina), all set about with passion-fruit pips and Chinese gooseberries (oh, all right, Kiwi fruit), can be a sumptuous affair if it is made with care and consideration. 1996 June 8, Simon Hopkinson, “Food: As light as a cloud”, in The Independent, London: Independent News & Media, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 20 May 2011:
3. The plant of the genus Actinidia that bears this fruit.

Forms

Hyponyms

Actinidia kolomikta · Actinidia arguta · Actinidia deliciosa

Synonyms

carambola · star fruit