Meaning & use
durian
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Meanings
nouncountable or uncountable
A large tropical fruit covered in thick spikes, with creamy flesh and a very strong smell that people either love or dislike.
Grammar: Countable for whole fruits: two durians. Uncountable for the flesh: some durian.
Patterns
- a durian
- eat durian
We bought a ripe durian from the market stall.
Many hotels in Southeast Asia ban durian from the rooms because of the smell.
She tried durian ice cream and was surprised by how sweet it was.
nouncountablespecialist
The tall tropical tree that bears this fruit.
Grammar: Usually called a durian tree to avoid confusion with the fruit.
Patterns
- a durian tree
The durian grows to enormous height in rainforest orchards.
Farmers wait for the fruit to drop from the durian before collecting it.
Word forms
| plural | durians |
|---|
Common combinations
- ripe durian
- A ripe durian has a smell you can notice from far away.
- durian tree
- The durian tree can reach forty meters.
- durian season
- Durian season begins in the early summer in Malaysia.
- durian flesh
- The durian flesh is soft and custard-like.
- durian smell
- The durian smell lingered in the car for days.
Synonyms and how they differ
- king of fruits
- King of fruits is a nickname for durian and is not a different fruit, so it is used for praise.
- jackfruit
- Jackfruit is another large spiky fruit, but it is milder in smell and less creamy than durian.
- tropical fruit
- Tropical fruit is a broad category, and durian is just one famous example within it.
Word family
- durians noun
- plural, several of the fruits
- Durio noun
- the botanical genus of durian trees
Commonly confused: durian or jackfruit?
durian vs jackfruit
Jackfruit and durian both have bumpy skin, but jackfruit is larger, less smelly and often cooked as a meat substitute.
Practice
Why are durians sometimes banned from hotels and public transport?
Choose one answer.
The strong, lingering smell is the usual reason. The fruit is edible and not poisonous, which is the tempting wrong option.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “durian”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.