apricot

[ ap-ri-kot, ey-pri- ]

/ ˈæp rɪˌkɒt, ˈeɪ prɪ- /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR apricot ON THESAURUS.COM

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.

Nearby words

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

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for apricot

When cool, remove from tin and brush cake with the apricot jelly.
Sweet Brits|Lydia Brownlow|April 4, 2011|DAILY BEAST
A pluot is a hybrid of plum and apricot, dominated by plummy characteristics and lighter on the apricot.
The Secrets of Hybrid Fruit|Stacey Slate|January 22, 2010|DAILY BEAST
Pour half of the syrupy liquid over the pandoro and apricot base.
Ham, Green Bean Casserole, Easy Trifle|The Daily Beast|December 23, 2008|DAILY BEAST
Massaio patted the cheek, which was like an apricot, and believed her.
A Rainy June and Other Stories|Ouida

Prepare according to directions given for Apricot Salad, and stuff the halves with maraschino cherries and chopped nuts.
The Myrtle Reed Cook Book|Myrtle Reed
Line a ring mould with very thin tartelette dough, cover the bottom with apricot jam, and then fill with the above preparation.
The Hotel St. Francis Cook Book|Victor Hirtzler
A wife here with a strawberry breath, cherry lips, apricot cheeks, and a soft velvet head like a melicotton.
History of English Humour, Vol. 1 (of 2)|Alfred Guy Kingan L'Estrange
This term is applied to such fruits as the cherry (fig. 5), peach, plum, apricot or mango.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 11, Slice 3|Various

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

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for apricot

apricot

1550s, abrecock, from Catalan abercoc, related to Portuguese albricoque, from Arabic al-birquq, through Byzantine Greek berikokkia from Latin (malum) praecoquum "early-ripening (fruit)" (see precocious). Form assimilated to French abricot.

Latin praecoquis early-ripe, can probably be attributed to the fact that the fruit was considered a variety of peach that ripened sooner than other peaches .... [Barnhart]

The older Latin name for it was prunum Armeniacum or malum Armeniacum, in reference to supposed origin in Armenia. As a color name, first attested 1906.

apricot

noun

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Origin of apricot

Examples from the Web for apricot

apricot

noun

Word Origin for apricot

apricot