Persimmon
or PERSIMON, Diospyros virginiana, a tree 60 feet or more in height, with ovate, oblong, taperpointed, shining leaves, pale yellow flowers, and an orange-colored succulent fruit an inch or more in diameter; very astringent when green, but eatable when bletted. It grows plentifully in the Southern and South Atlantic States.
The fruit is brewed into beer, and yields an ardent spirit on distillation.