apricot

American  

[ap-ri-kot, ey-pri-] / ˈæp rɪˌkɒt, ˈeɪ prɪ- /

noun

• apricots
  plural

1. the downy, yellow, sometimes rosy fruit, somewhat resembling a small peach, of the tree Prunus armeniaca.

2. the tree itself.

3. a pinkish yellow or yellowish pink.

4. Also called wild apricot.  Chiefly South Midland U.S. the maypop vine and its fruit; passionfruit.

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apricot British  

/ ˈeɪprɪˌkɒt /

noun

1. a rosaceous tree, Prunus armeniaca, native to Africa and W Asia, but widely cultivated for its edible fruit

2. the downy yellow juicy edible fruit of this tree, which resembles a small peach

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• apricots
  plural

Etymology

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 peach ¹, precocious); replacing earlier abrecock < Portuguese or Spanish; later p for Middle French b perhaps < Latin praecox

Explanation

An apricot is a small, yellowish-orange fruit with a hard pit. Slightly less juicy than the similar peach, apricots are a little bit tart. The fact that apricots aren't quite as juicy as some other stone fruits makes them perfect for drying — and dried apricots are chewy and sweet. The word apricot is derived from the Arabic al-barqūq, "the plums," and these two fruits are very closely related. As a color, apricot also describes a slightly rosy shade of yellow that borders on orange.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

apricot apricots

"Its taste and aroma are royal. The apricot is a wonder of wonders."

From Barron's ● Jul. 14, 2026

Bottle bio: Accented with peach, apricot, acacia, and floral notes, this sparkling variety hails from the cool-climate of California’s Anderson Valley.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 3, 2026

It also offers a variety of seeds for black, white, purple, Cleveland and hummingbird sages, as well as apricot mallow, showy penstemon, yarrow, California poppies, caterpillar phacelia and more.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 2025

On her website, she sells apricot kernels for their "potential health benefits" along with nutritional supplements, and offers information and advice.

From BBC ● Jun. 23, 2025

Erato poured a little water into her mouth, and Christopher dipped a piece of the bread in the apricot and put it between her lips.

From "Impossible Creatures" by Katherine Rundell

Already, a previous warm weather spell forced him to harvest apricots five days earlier than planned this year, on May 1, he said.

From Barron's ● May 26, 2026

If you round things out with a French baguette, grapes, dried apricots, olives, and a bowl of spicy walnuts or pecans, you’ve got an easy spread for 10–15 people.

From Salon ● Dec. 4, 2025

In Hollister, underage siblings use sharp knives to cut and clean heirloom apricots that dry in the hot sun.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 20, 2025

She added: "We're even growing peaches, apricots, and nectarines outside currently, something that would have been unthinkable in previous years due to the risk of late frosts and lack of early pollinators."

From BBC ● May 1, 2025

After dinners, the family would sit in the open terrace with bowls of dried apricots, and pistachios, sugar candies, and a big samovar of black tea.

From "Everything Sad Is Untrue" by Daniel Nayeri