avocado
avocado — noun
1. an oval fruit grown in warm countries, with a tough green or almost black outer
an oval fruit grown in warm countries, with a tough green or almost black outer layer, one big stone-like seed in the middle, and creamy yellow-green flesh that you eat raw, often in salads or on toast.
Zara cut the avocado in half and lifted out the round brown seed with a spoon.
typical kitchen action: cut + half + remove seed
The cafe near the station sells smashed avocado on toast with a poached egg for breakfast.
common collocation: smashed avocado on toast
Mexico grows millions of tonnes of avocados every year and ships them all over the world.
Wen blended a ripe avocado with lime, garlic, and salt to make guacamole for the party.
Press the skin with your thumb; if it gives slightly, the avocado is ready to eat.
- alligator pear
old-fashioned American name, rarely used today; refers to the bumpy dark skin
用法筆記
Often appears with adjectives describing ripeness (ripe, unripe, hard, soft) or preparation (smashed, sliced, mashed). The plural is 'avocados' (with -s, no -es spelling change in modern usage). Sometimes called 'avocado pear' in older British texts, but 'avocado' alone is now standard.
常見錯誤
2. a soft, slightly yellowish shade of green, named after the colour of the inside
a soft, slightly yellowish shade of green, named after the colour of the inside of the fruit; often used to describe paint, fabrics, kitchen appliances, or bathroom fittings.
Grandma's bathroom from the 1970s was painted in avocado, with matching tiles around the bath.
typical retro context: 1970s home decor
The designer mixed cream and avocado on the living-room walls for a calm, natural feeling.
paint colour pairing: cream + avocado
Sven chose a thick wool scarf in soft avocado to wear with her brown winter coat.
The old fridge in the corner was a dull avocado that nobody had loved since 1978.
- sage green
similar muted green but slightly greyer; common in modern decor
- olive
darker and more brown-tinted than avocado
用法筆記
Frequently used in interior-design and fashion contexts to name a specific muted green shade, especially associated with mid-twentieth-century home goods (bathrooms, kitchen appliances). Distinguish from sense 1: this sense describes a colour, not the fruit itself, and takes no plural.
常見錯誤
avocado — adjective
1. having the soft yellow-green shade of the inside of an avocado fruit; usually pl
having the soft yellow-green shade of the inside of an avocado fruit; usually placed before a noun to describe paint, cloth, furniture, or household items.
The hotel lobby had thick avocado curtains and a pair of matching armchairs by the window.
attributive: avocado + noun (curtains)
Mrs. Mateo still keeps the avocado bathroom suite that his husband installed in 1976.
retro home context, attributive use
Rohan painted the garden shed an avocado shade so it would blend in with the bushes.
The boutique on Elm Street is selling avocado linen shirts as part of its summer range.
文法句型
avocado + noun
用法筆記
Almost always used attributively (before a noun: 'avocado curtains', 'avocado paint'); rarely appears after a linking verb ('the curtains are avocado' is grammatically possible but less natural — most speakers say 'the curtains are avocado green' or use the noun form).