acai

noun

ˌä-ˌsä-ˈē 

-sī-ˈē

variants or less commonly açai

1

a

or acai berry or less commonly açai berry : a small, dark purple, berrylike fruit with a juicy pulp that is often used in beverages or eaten raw and that is produced by a tall, slender palm (Euterpe oleracea) native to tropical rainforests of Central and South America

Note: Acai is a single-seeded drupe that grows in large clusters. In the Brazilian Amazon [Rainforest], acai makes up an important part of the local diet and is often prepared as a mash with cassava pulp.

b

or acai palm or less commonly açai palm : the palm (Euterpe oleracea) that produces acai berries

2

: a beverage made from the juice of the acai berry

Rio de Janeiro is the city that worships health and beauty and where the healthy and the beautiful drink acai.

—Alex Bellosz

Examples of acai in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Dim sum, acai bowls and some notorious chicken fingers. —Bridget Fogarty, Journal Sentinel, 15 Nov. 2024

Every product is formulated with their exclusive Commence Complex, a blend of alfalfa extract to support hair growth, quinoa peptides to add volume, acai stem cells for antioxidants that provide anti-aging perks and a Lactobacillus ferment, bio-fermentation technology that calms the scalp. —Celia Shatzman, Forbes, 30 Oct. 2024

The budget-friendly grocery chain is already great, but with recipes like acai bowls and teriyaki tofu, this cookbook will take their weekly hauls to new heights. —Jake Henry Smith, Glamour, 25 Oct. 2024

Pizza Shuttle replaced Paper Plane Pizza, and Goodland Greens moved into the former home of salad and sandwich spot Greenhouse and Make Waves, which served acai bowls and smoothies. —Claire Reid, Journal Sentinel, 17 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Brazilian Portuguese assaí, uaçaí, açaí, the palm Euterpe oleracea, borrowed from Tupi *ɨβasaí, from ɨβá "plant, fruit" + an element of uncertain meaning

First Known Use

circa 1861, in the meaning defined at sense 1b