'coconut' originates from Portuguese, specifically the word 'coco,' where 'coco' meant 'grinning face' due to the three indentations on the coconut shell resembling a face.

'coco' transformed into the English word 'coconut' through the influence of the Spanish and Portuguese explorers.

Initially, it referred to the fruit of the coconut palm, and this meaning has largely remained the same in modern usage.