Pa-paw', n.

n. [Malay. pāpaya, Sp. papaya, Pg. papaya, papayo, It. papajo, Fr. papayer, papaye.] [Written also paw-paw.] (Bot.) (a.) A tree (Carica papaya) growing in warm climates, to the height of eighteen or twenty feet, with a soft, herbaceous stem, naked nearly to the top, where the leaves issue on every side, on long footstalks, between which grow the flower and the fruit; also, the fruit, which is of the size of a melon, having an acrid and milky juice. It is sometimes eaten raw when ripe, but is more commonly cooked or pickled. Loudon. (b.) A tree of the genus Asimina, growing in the western and southern parts of the United States, and producing a sweet, edible fruit; also, the