hala
hala Lexical Profile
• noun
The large, globe-shaped, composite edible fruit of the screw pine tree (Pandanus tectorius), consisting of tightly packed, wedge-shaped orange to red segments that have a sweet, starchy base and fibrous top.
"At the market in Honolulu, we sampled fresh hala and learned how to chew the sweet fleshy ends of its fibrous wedges."
A tropical palm-like tree (Pandanus tectorius) in the family Pandanaceae, native to the Pacific Islands, Southeast Asia, and northern Australia, characterized by aerial prop roots and long, spiny, sword-shaped leaves woven into mats and baskets.
"Artisans harvest the long leaves of the hala to weave traditional mats, hats, and baskets."
• Rhymes for hala
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed from Hawaiian hala, referring to the screw pine tree (Pandanus tectorius) and its fruit, derived from Proto-Polynesian *fara.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.