西番柿

Chinese

the "Western Barbarians", specifically persimmon
trad. (西番柿) 西番
simp. #(西番柿) 西番
alternative forms 西畨柿
西蕃柿

Pronunciation


Noun

西番柿

  1. (archaic or Jin) tomato [from 17th c.]
    • 1617, 趙崡, 《植品》[1], page 11b:
      又有西畨柿亦萬曆間自西方來蔓生高四五尺結實宛如柿然不堪食其蔓與葉臭不可近比之向日菊尤甚今亦無種者矣
      There is also the Western persimmon, which arrived from the West during the reign of the Wanli Emperor. Its vines grow to a height of four or five chi. It bears fruit which are much like the persimmon but are not to be eaten. Its vines and leaves are unpleasant to the smell and one is not to come near to them. Worse still is the 'sun-facing chrysanthemum' (i.e. the sunflower). Few now cultivate it.

Synonyms