soursop

1 7.7

A small tropical tree that makes a large spiky fruit with sour, juicy flesh

noun
/ˈsaʊərˌsɑp/

: guanábana

In the Caribbean, soursop is popular for its health benefits and is often used in smoothies.

Examples

PHOTO (COLOR): Mountain soursop

Academic text (1995)
So I wanted to do sort of like a sweet and sour with the sourdough and the soursop and and make like an adult PB and J.
Cherimoya, soursop, and sugar apple—sweet dessert fruits from tropical America—are enjoyed fresh or made into sherbet.

Academic text (1995)
The tropical market was full of fresh fruits, including soursop, which has a unique sour flavor.
She made a refreshing juice using soursop and added some sugar to balance the tartness.

Synonyms

Annona muricata

vssoursop

Specialized

9.1

A small tropical American tree that produces a large soft fruit with a sour taste

is the everyday name covering both the fruit and its tree

soursop tree

vssoursop

8.1

A small tropical tree that grows large soft fruit with a slightly sour taste

is the common name used for both the fruit and the tree

guanabana

vssoursop

9.9

A large tropical fruit with spiny skin and soft white flesh that tastes sweet and sour

is the general English name also applied to the tree that bears it

prickly custard apple

vssoursop

9.7

A tropical tree that has large spiky fruit with juicy sour flesh

is the familiar name used for both that fruit and the tree

Compounds

soursop tree

8.1

A small tropical tree that grows large soft fruit with a slightly sour taste

How Sour

lemon

318 1.0

grapefruit

57 1.0

soursop

1 7.7

mango

34 1.0

banana

153 1.0

Surface Forms

soursop singular

soursops plural

Morphology

soursop = sour + sop (semi-transparent) = sour + sop

The components 'sour' (taste) and 'sop' are visible, but 'sop' is relatively rare and does not by itself denote a fruit, so the compound's reference to a specific tropical fruit is not fully predictable for learners.

Etymology

The word soursop comes from two simple English parts: sour ('tart') and sop ('bread soaked in liquid'). A helpful image is that the fruit tastes sour and its soft, juicy inside is like a 'sop' you can scoop up. That's why soursop names this tart, soft tropical fruit.