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Definition of diospyros
diospyros
/daɪˈɑːspərəs/
di · os · py · ros
diospyros Lexical Profile
CEFR
C2
Grade
12
Tier
3
Usage
Rare
• noun
1
A large and diverse genus of trees and shrubs in the plant family Ebenaceae, native primarily to tropical and subtropical regions globally, distinguished by species that yield heavy, dark ebony wood or edible, fleshy persimmon fruits.
Example
"The botanist cataloged several newly discovered species of Diospyros in the dense rainforests of Madagascar, noting their characteristic black heartwood."
Synonyms
View all synonyms for diospyros• Rhymes for diospyros
Word Origin & Etymology
From Ancient Greek 'dióspuros' (literally 'wheat of Zeus' or 'divine grain'), composed of 'Dios' (of Zeus/God) and 'pyros' (wheat), originally applied to the European nettle tree's fruit before being assigned as the scientific name for the persimmon and ebony genus.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.
180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer
Cite this Entry
Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Diospyros. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Oct 15, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/diospyros