apricot
[ ap-ri-kot, ey-pri- ]
/ ˈæp rɪˌkɒt, ˈeɪ prɪ- /
noun
the downy, yellow, sometimes rosy fruit, somewhat resembling a small peach, of the tree Prunus armeniaca.
the tree itself.
a pinkish yellow or yellowish pink.
Also called wild apricot. Chiefly South Midland U.S. the maypop vine and its fruit; passionfruit.
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Origin of apricot
1545–55; < Middle French abricot < Portuguese albricoque or Spanish albar(i)coque < Arabic al the + barqūq < Medieval Greek < Late Latin praecocquum, for Latin (persicum) praecox literally, early-ripening peach, perhaps referring to the apricot (see peach1, precocious); replacing earlier abrecock < Portuguese or Spanish; later p for Middle French b perhaps < Latin praecox
Words nearby apricot
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Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020
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British Dictionary definitions for apricot
apricot
/ (ˈeɪprɪˌkɒt) /
noun
a rosaceous tree, Prunus armeniaca, native to Africa and W Asia, but widely cultivated for its edible fruit
the downy yellow juicy edible fruit of this tree, which resembles a small peach
Word Origin for apricot
C16: earlier apricock, from Portuguese (albricoque) or Spanish, from Arabic al-birqūq the apricot, from Late Greek praikokion, from Latin praecox early-ripening; see precocious
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