naras
/ˈnaras/South African
noun
A spiny, yellow-flowered shrub, Acanthosicyos horrida (family Cucurbitaceae), of the Kalahari Desert and Namibia, distinguished by thorns which replace the leaves in the young plants. Also: the large, spiny melon-like fruit of this plant, which provides both food and drink.
Origin
Mid 19th century; earliest use found in James Edward Alexander (1803–1885), army officer. From Khoekhoe !naras (feminine; plural !naradi) fruit of the naras, !narab (masculine; also as !nara-i, neuter) naras plant. The some forms apparently arose from interpretation of the feminine singular as a plural form, although compare Afrikaans narra (with less usual variants nara, naras), German Nara (also Naraspflanze).