carambola

Presumably from Marathi करंबळ (karambaḷ), via Portuguese.

• IPA^(key): /ˌkæɹəmˈbəʊlə/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -əʊlə

carambola (plural carambolas)

1. A tree species native to southern Asia, Averrhoa carambola.
   • 1851, Francis Mason, Tenasserim: Or Notes on the Fauna, Flora, Minerals, and Nations of British Burmah and Pegu: with Systematic Catalogues of the Known Minerals, Plants, Mammals, Fishes, Mollusks, Sea-nettles, Corals, Sea-urchins, Worms, Insects, Crabs, Reptiles, and Birds; with Vernacular Names, American Mission Press, T.S. Ranney, page 121:

     The carambola tree bears a sour fruit which makes a good tart, and there is a variety which bears a sweet fruit. The tree, though originally, it is said, from the Moluccas, flourishes well on this Coast, and is quite naturalized.

2. The fruit of this tree, commonly known as star fruit.
   • 2022, N. K. Jemisin, The World We Make, Orbit, page 124:

     She leans out of sight before coming back with a bowl of something—looks like sliced fresh carambola with salt and chili.

3. A yellow colour, like that of a carambola.

   carambola:  

Borrowed from Spanish carambola, from Malay karambal.

• IPA^(key): (Central, Balearic) [kə.ɾəmˈbɔ.lə]
• IPA^(key): (Valencia) [ka.ɾamˈbɔ.la]

carambola f (plural caramboles)

1. star fruit
2. carom

• caramboler

• “carambola”, in Diccionari de la llengua catalana [Dictionary of the Catalan Language] (in Catalan), second edition, Institute of Catalan Studies [Catalan: Institut d'Estudis Catalans], April 2007

• IPA^(key): /ka.ʁɑ̃.bɔ.la/
• Homophones: carambolas, carambolât

carambola

1. third-person singular past historic of caramboler

• IPA^(key): /kaˈram.bo.la/
• Rhymes: -ambola
• Hyphenation: ca‧ràm‧bo‧la

carambola f (plural carambole)

1. cannon, carom (in snooker etc.)
2. star fruit

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

carambola

1. inflection of carambolare:
   1. third-person singular present indicative
   2. second-person singular imperative

• Rhymes: -ɔlɐ
• Hyphenation: ca‧ram‧bo‧la

Borrowed from Malay karambal, from Marathi करंबळ (karambaḷ), ultimately from Sanskrit कर्मार (karmā́ra), कर्मरङ्ग (karmaranga).

carambola f (plural carambolas)

1. carambola, star fruit (fruit)

• caramboleira

Borrowed from French carambole, from Spanish carambola.

carambola f (plural carambolas)

1. (billiards) (UK) cannon, (USA) carom
2. (billiards) red ball

• carambolar

Alteration of caramba.

carambola

1. (minced oath) synonym of caramba (“damn”)

Borrowed from Portuguese carambola.

• IPA^(key): /kaɾamˈbola/ [ka.ɾãmˈbo.la]
• Rhymes: -ola
• Syllabification: ca‧ram‧bo‧la

carambola f (plural carambolas)

1. star fruit
2. fluke
3. double whammy; act of killing two birds with one stone
4. (snooker, pool, billiards) cannon
5. (snooker, pool, billiards) three-cushion shot

   Continuaban desocupadas las mesas en redor, los músicos charlaban en el palco, y del salón de billares llegaba el ruido de tacos con que algunos entusiastas aplaudían una carambola complicadísima.

• “carambola”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 10 December 2024