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

Unassuming from the outside, the shop opens into a huge ark of mortar-crusted brick and ribcage-like beams, with long dining tables displaying shapely vases, pitchers, teacups and plates in shades of apricot, amber and malachite.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 17, 2026

She gave me like a date, you know, and like a dried apricot, so I ate that.

From Barron's ● Feb. 7, 2026

Layer with almond biscotti or ladyfingers, swirl in apricot jam or fresh macerated peaches and finish with a honey drizzle and toasted almonds on top.

From Salon ● Jul. 29, 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

Chicken legs and potatoes fried with bacon and apricot tarts—a dozen trays, a dozen platters, as much as he can eat.

From "All the Light We Cannot See" by Anthony Doerr

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

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

Imagine combining fresh apricot, apricot jam and dried apricots all in one dish for a sophisticated play on the same ingredient.

From Salon ● Mar. 19, 2025

She shaves his face, massages his head, slices apples and apricots for his breakfast each morning.

From BBC ● Dec. 20, 2024

She pushes a container of dried apricots toward me.

From "Zara’s Rules for Record-Breaking Fun" by Hena Khan