This sense is the fruit. In British English, pawpaw is often just another name for papaya: a large tropical fruit, yellow-green on the outside, orange or yellow inside, soft enough to eat with a spoon, often with lime. That is the tidy dictionary picture, and it is how many UK speakers use the word.

This sense is the fruit這個詞義指的是水果。In British English在英式英語裡, pawpaw is often just another name for papayapawpaw常常就是papaya（木瓜）的另一個名字: a large tropical fruit一種大型的熱帶水果, yellow-green on the outside外皮是黃綠色, orange or yellow inside裡面是橘色或黃色, soft enough to eat with a spoon軟到可以用湯匙挖著吃, often with lime常常會加萊姆。That is the tidy dictionary picture那是字典上那種整整齊齊的說法, and it is how many UK speakers use the word也是很多英國人使用這個字的方式。

Though actually American English is messier. In the United States, pawpaw usually means a different fruit, from a different tree, that grows in the woods of the eastern US. It is yellow-green too when ripe, and people say it tastes a little like banana and mango mixed, but it is not the supermarket papaya.

Though actually不過其實, American English is messier美式英語就複雜多了。In the United States在美國, pawpaw usually means a different fruitpawpaw通常指的是另一種水果, from a different tree長在不同的樹上, that grows in the woods of the eastern US生長在美國東部的樹林裡。It is yellow-green too when ripe熟的時候也是黃綠色, and people say it tastes a little like banana and mango mixed人們說它的味道有點像香蕉混芒果, but it is not the supermarket papaya但它不是超市裡那種papaya。

So a British recipe that says pawpaw almost certainly wants papaya. An American nature story about pawpaws in autumn is talking about the other fruit. Learners are not being silly if the two uses collide; the language really did split.

So a British recipe that says pawpaw所以一份英國食譜寫pawpaw almost certainly wants papaya幾乎肯定指的是papaya。An American nature story about pawpaws in autumn一篇講秋天pawpaws的美國自然故事 is talking about the other fruit講的則是另一種水果。Learners are not being silly如果學習者遇到 if the two uses collide這兩種用法對不上，那不是自己傻; the language really did split是這個語言真的分裂成兩種用法了。