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1A tall palm tree that is native to the Seychelles and has an immense, seaborne nut in a hard, woody shell, which is the largest known seed.
Lodoicea maldivica, family Palmae
‘The so-called coco de mer, or ‘double coconut’, is not a true coconut, and is described separately.’
‘As we weave among almond trees and coco de mers, our driver tells us that some guests never leave their cottages.’
‘The huge seed of the coco de mer is unique to the Seychelles islands in the western Indian Ocean.’
1.1The large nut of the coco de mer.
‘She says that she recognised the spiritual and sexual significance of the coco de mer nut, which is seen as a potent and particularly feminine symbol of fertility.’
Origin
Early 19th century: from French coco-de-mer, literally ‘coco from the sea’ (because the tree was first known from nuts found floating in the sea).