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Definition of irvingia

irvingia

/ɜːrˈvɪndʒiə/
ir · vin · gi · a

Plural:irvingias
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irvingia Lexical Profile

• noun

1

A genus of tropical trees in the family Irvingiaceae, native to Africa and Southeast Asia, characterized by bearing edible, mango-like fruits and mucilage-rich seeds that are widely used in traditional cooking and medicine.

Example

"The seeds of Irvingia gabonensis, commonly known as the African mango, are highly valued in West African cuisine as a thickener for ogbono soup."

• Rhymes for irvingia

Word Origin & Etymology

Named in 1860 by the English botanist Joseph Dalton Hooker in honor of Edward George Irving, a Scottish surgeon in the Royal Navy who collected plant specimens in West Africa.

Cite this Entry


Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Irvingia. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Oct 12, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/irvingia
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