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Definition of chaya

chaya

/ˈtʃɑː.jə/
cha · ya
Plural:chayas
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chaya Lexical Profile

• noun

1

A large, fast-growing leafy shrub native to the Yucatán Peninsula of Mexico, cultivated in tropical regions worldwide for its edible foliage.

Example

"The community garden in Central America was planted with chaya because of its resilience to drought and high nutritional yield."

2

The highly nutritious leaves of the chaya shrub, often referred to as tree spinach, which must be thoroughly cooked before consumption to neutralize toxic hydrocyanic acid.

Example

"She prepared a traditional soup by boiling chaya for twenty minutes before adding the rest of the vegetables."

Synonyms
View all synonyms for chaya

• Rhymes for chaya

• Nearby Words

chattanooga
chatterbox
chatterbox falls
chaya
chayote
che
cheaha

Word Origin & Etymology

Borrowed into Spanish and subsequently English from the Yucatec Maya word 'chay'.

Usage Trend

Historical frequency of usage in published text.

180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer

Cite this Entry

Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Chaya. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Oct 19, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/chaya
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