Is a coconut a fruit, a vegetable or what?

Question

Just suddenly thought about it

OK, OK I'm stupid - CocoNUT

Answer 1

Good question-think it must be a fruit.

Answer 2

Is a Coconut a fruit, vegetable or a nut?

Not an easy question, because some of these words have a technical meaning as well as the meaning your granny would expect.

To a botanist, a fruit is "the product of a fertilised ovary".

My dictionary tells me that a vegetable is just a plant which is eaten (either whole or in part) by humans.

To a botanist, a nut is a "dry, indehiscent, single-seeded fruit with a hard woody wall".

Now, when I read the information in another record I find that the whole coconut including the outer coir fiber coating is a "fruit". The coir fiber (which is removed where the coconuts grow before being shipped to our shops) is the ovary wall.

I wouldn't call it a vegetable, but it does fit the dictionary definition.

I guess that the object you buy in the shops (or win at a fairground) is not quite a typical "nut", because the "wall" is the original coir fiber, but I don't think many people would dare to contradict you if you called it a nut. Technically, you could call the coconut (as sold in shops) a "seed" - but you will see that even the experts in are not sure where the "testa" or seed coat is!

Answer 3

Fruit

Answer 4

Coconut is a fruit

Answer 5

The Coconut Palm (Cocos nucifera) is a member of the Family Arecaceae (palm family). It is the only species in the genus Cocos, and is a large palm, growing to 30 m tall, with pinnate leaves 4-6 m long, pinnae 60-90 cm long; old leaves break away cleanly leaving the trunk smooth. The term coconut refers to the fruit of the coconut palm.

Answer 6

the rule of thumb is does it CONTAIN life or SUSTAIN life?
if it contains life (SEEDS AND NUTS)to reproduce the plant it is fruit .if it sustains life ( leaf, stems roots)it is vegetable.so technically a coconut is a fruit.
note: this is subject to change.when i was a child the schools taught that if it grew on trees and was not itself a seed or nut then it was fruit.this included tomatoes and corn.
and vegetables grew under ground except for the green leafy stuff.but now we tend to think of them as vegetables.confusing huh?anyway coconuts are fruit.

Answer 7

A coconut is a fruit called a
drupe, and what you eat is the endosperm

Answer 8

Actually, a coconut is a seed (or in other words, the stone of a drupe) not a NUT.

For example, the coconut is analogous to the pit in a peach. The peach pit (or stone) is a peach seed.

Answer 9

Why did n't you think DICTIONARY
It is on thre YahooToolbad up there^
its called Reference

co·co·nut also co·coa·nut
NOUN:
1: The fruit of the coconut palm, consisting of a fibrous husk surrounding a large seed.
2: The large, brown, hard-shelled seed of the coconut, containing white flesh surrounding a partially fluid-filled central cavity.

Answer 10

It's a nut - definition of a nut -fruit consisting of hard shell enclosing edible kernel.