May apple

American  

Or Mayapple

noun

1. an American plant, Podophyllum peltatum, of the barberry family, bearing an edible, yellowish, egg-shaped fruit.

2. the fruit itself.

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May apple British  

noun

1. an American berberidaceous plant, Podophyllum peltatum, with edible yellowish egg-shaped fruit

2. the fruit of this plant

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Etymology

Origin of May apple

An Americanism dating back to 1725–35

Example Sentences

The forest now hosts a rich variety of native plants, including May apple, ferns, grasses, azaleas and magnolias.

From Washington Post • Dec. 1, 2022

Podophyllum resin, or podophyllin, is the resin of the dried root of the mandrake or May apple; Carter combined this with the dried juice of aloes.

From Time Magazine Archive

Raccoon′-berr′y, the May apple of the United States; Raccoon′-oys′ter, an oyster growing on the shores of the sea in United States.

From Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 3 of 4: N-R) by Various

As spring advances, the woods are dotted with bright little star flowers and the unpleasantly odorous May apple and the white Trillium with its three long petals.

From Woodcraft or, How a Patrol Leader Made Good by Douglas, Alan

"That's a May apple," he said, suddenly and reluctantly.

From A Maid of the Kentucky Hills by Litsey, Edwin Carlile