bread·fruit / ˈbredˌfroōt/ • n. 1. a large, round, starchy fruit, used as a vegetable and sometimes to make a substitute for flour. 2. (also breadfruit tree) the large evergreen tree (Artocarpus altilis) of the mulberry family that bears this fruit, widely cultivated on the islands of the Pacific and the Caribbean.

breadfruit Large spherical, starchy fruit of the tree Artocarpus communis or A. incisa (fig family) discovered in 1688 in the Pacific island of Guam by William Dampier. Staple though seasonal food in the Caribbean, eaten roasted whole when ripe, or boiled in pieces when green. A 200‐g portion is a rich source of vitamin C; a source of iron and vitamin B₁; supplies 220 kcal (925 kJ).

breadfruit See ARTOCARPUS.