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

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

But the King seemed to enjoy some of the less usual beers on offer, including one with an apricot flavour.

From BBC ● Dec. 18, 2025

A superstar in French cuisine, tonka has also made its fair share of cameos on “Bake Off,” notably in an apricot compote and a mascarpone cream paired with a ginger, fig and honey pudding.

From Salon ● Sep. 19, 2025

Meggie took another apricot from the basket and put it into his hand.

From "Inkheart" by Cornelia Funke

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

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

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

The fruitcake stayed perfect in the tin and the apple juice was fizzy but not totally undrinkable and the dried apricots were fine, as was the huge thick slab of chocolate wrapped in brown paper.

From "How I Live Now" by Meg Rosoff