Jenipapo

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A tropical American tree bearing a round edible fruit ; a dark blue-black dye extracted from the juice of that fruit
2. A South American and Caribbean tree with a large round fruit ; a deep blue-black pigment obtained from the fruit's juice
3. The genipa tree native to the Americas and its yellowish fruit ; a dark stain prepared from that fruit and used for body painting

Etymology: The fruit that gives this tree its name is most notable for its juice, which is nearly colorless when pressed but darkens to a blue-black as it meets the air. Indigenous peoples of South America used this juice for body painting and ornamentation, and the tree's fruit has long been valued for that dye. The name comes from Tupi, the language of many Indigenous peoples of the Brazilian coast, and reached European languages through Portuguese, the colonial language of Brazil, where the tree is widely found. The botanical genus name "Genipa," which the tree shares with a number of related species, is drawn from the same Tupi-derived root. The tree belongs to the coffee family, Rubiaceae, which is why its relatives include plants with very different-looking fruit.