Meaning

noun tropical American shrub or small tree having huge deeply palmately cleft leaves and large oblong yellow fruit

noun small tree native to the eastern United States having oblong leaves and fleshy fruit

noun fruit with yellow flesh; related to custard apples

originVia Portuguese and Spanish papaya from Lokono papáia; compare also Kari'na kapaja. Doublet of papaya. Alternatively from Yuchi pahpah.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 3.0