avocado

Everyday

1. An avocado is a pear-shaped fruit with dark green or black skin, soft pale-green flesh and one big seed (stone) in the middle. tree →
2. Avocado is also the name of the tree it grows on and of a pale green colour. tree →

In the lessons

Everyday life: avocados are eaten on toast, in salads and as guacamole (a Mexican dip); they grow in warm places like Mexico, California and Australia. In science, the avocado is a fruit (it has a seed), though we eat it like a vegetable; children can grow a new plant from the stone in water. Safety: cutting avocados is a common cause of hand cuts — let an adult remove the stone; avocado is poisonous to some pets, such as birds. Phrases: avocado toast, ripe avocado, avocado stone.

Examples

• I like avocado on toast. tree →
• A ripe avocado feels a bit soft when you press it. tree →
• We mashed avocados to make guacamole. tree →
• The avocado has one big stone in the middle. tree →
• We grew an avocado plant from a seed in a jar of water. tree →
• Let an adult cut the avocado — the knife can slip. tree →

Note

Plural: avocados (or avocadoes). Science trap: it is a fruit, not a vegetable, botanically. Do not give avocado to parrots or other pet birds.