A tree (Carica Papaya) of tropical America, belonging to the
   order Passifloreae. It has a soft, spongy stem, eighteen or twenty feet
   high, crowned with a tuft of large, long-stalked, palmately lobed
   leaves. The milky juice of the plant is said to have the property of
   making meat tender. Also, its dull orange-colored, melon-shaped fruit,
   which is eaten both raw and cooked or pickled.