What does avo mean?
An 'avo' is an informal shortening of 'avocado,' the buttery green fruit prized in salads, spreads, and the ever-popular smashed avo on toast. The clipped form is especially characteristic of Australian and New Zealand English, where it sits alongside other affectionate abbreviations like 'arvo' (afternoon) and 'servo' (service station). Casual and friendly in tone, it appears mostly in speech, menus, and lifestyle writing rather than formal prose, where 'avocado' remains standard. Separately, 'avo' names a minor unit of Moldovan currency worth one hundredth of a leu, though this sense is obscure in general English. For most readers, encountering 'avo' signals a relaxed food context — a café menu, a recipe, or conversation about brunch — making it a handy word to recognize when navigating everyday usage in Australasia.
An informal shortening of 'avocado'.
"She ordered sourdough topped with smashed avo and chili flakes."
A minor unit of currency in Moldova, equal to one hundredth of a leu.
"Prices were quoted in lei and avos."
This sense is specific to Moldovan currency and rarely encountered in general English.
Regular plural; used almost exclusively in the informal 'avocado' sense.
"He bought three avos to make guacamole."
Aussies were shortening 'avocado' to 'avo' long before 'smashed avo' became the toast topping that launched a thousand brunch menus.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of avo
'Avo' arose as a natural clipping of 'avocado,' a word English borrowed from Spanish 'aguacate,' which itself derives from the Nahuatl term 'ahuacatl.' Such abbreviated forms are a hallmark of Australian and New Zealand English, where speakers routinely shorten longer words with an '-o' ending. The Moldovan currency sense comes from the Romanian 'avu,' a subdivision of the leu.
Related word forms
How avo is actually used
'Avo' is distinctly colloquial and most strongly associated with Australian and New Zealand English; in formal writing or outside those regions, 'avocado' is preferred. The currency sense applies only to Moldova and is rare in everyday English.
Easily confused with avo
'Avocado' is the full formal word for the fruit, while 'avo' is an informal clipped form used mainly in casual speech in Australia and New Zealand.