co ‧ co ‧ nut /ˈkəʊkənʌt $ ˈkoʊ-/ BrE AmE noun
[ Date: 1600-1700 ; Origin: coco 'coconut' (16-18 centuries) (from Portuguese , 'grinning face' ; because the bottom of a coconut, with its three spots, looks like a face) + nut ]
1 . [countable] the large brown seed of a tropical tree, which has a hard shell containing white flesh that you can eat and a milky liquid that you can drink:
large tropical gardens of coconut palms
2 . [uncountable] the white flesh of a coconut, often used in cooking:
desiccated coconut (=dried coconut)