the edible white meat of a coconut; often shredded for use in e.g. cakes and curries
"The recipe called for finely shredded coconut to add richness to the curry."
tall palm tree bearing coconuts as fruits; widely planted throughout the tropics
"The coconut is a tall palm tree that bears hard-shelled nuts and thrives in tropical climates around the world."
A fruit of the coconut palm (not a true nut), Cocos nucifera, having a fibrous husk surrounding a large seed.
"The farmer harvested a ripe coconut from the tall palm tree to use in his stew."
In plain English: A coconut is a hard, round fruit from palm trees that has thick brown skin and white flesh inside with sweet water.
"She added shredded coconut to her chocolate cake mix for extra texture and flavor."
Usage: Coconut refers to the tropical fruit with a hard shell and fibrous husk produced by the coconut palm tree. Although often called a nut in casual conversation, it is botanically classified as a drupe containing one large seed.
The word "coconut" comes from combining "coco," a term historically used as a derogatory label for Black or Hispanic people based on their dark skin and white teeth, with "nut." Although the fruit itself is named after this slang reference to its hard outer shell resembling human features, it has since become the standard name for the tropical palm fruit.