n. [ Prob. from the native name in the West Indies; cf. Sp. papayo papaw, papaya the fruit of the papaw. ] 1. (Bot.) A tree (Carica Papaya) of tropical America, belonging to the order Passifloreæ; called also papaw and pawpaw. It has a soft, spongy stem, eighteen or twenty feet high, crowned with a tuft of large, long-stalked, palmately lobed leaves. The milky juice of the plant is said to have the property of making meat tender. [ 1913 Webster +PJC ]

2. The fruit of the papaya tree; it is a dull orange-colored, melon-shaped fruit, which is eaten both raw and cooked or pickled. The fruit contains papain, a protease. [ 1913 Webster + PJC ]