apricot

American  

[ap-ri-kot, ay-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

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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

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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

I turned perhaps $50 worth of produce into dried fruit, jam and an apricot pie.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 2026

And if you start — or end — the meal with Wisconsin cheese, don’t skip the apricot preserves alongside it.

From Salon ● Sep. 8, 2026

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

From Barron's ● Jul. 14, 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

Olive ate even more: Gooseberry tarts and currant bread and cream trifle and plum pudding and chocolate bonbons and spice cake—all dribbled over with butter rum sauce and apricot sauce and peppermint sauce.

From "Ella Enchanted" by Gail Carson Levine

Tons of stranded apricots have been spoiled because of the delays.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 17, 2026

Cultivated for millennia, Armenia's famed apricots were known to ancient Romans as the "Armenian apple."

From Barron's ● Jul. 14, 2026

For snacks, I graze rather than feast: dried apricots, dates with almond butter and sea salt, cucumber rolled with herby cream cheese and lunch meat.

From Salon ● Sep. 9, 2025

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

From BBC ● Dec. 20, 2024

Meanwhile, my family boiled and skinned peaches, pitted apricots and churned apples into sauce.

From "Educated" by Tara Westover

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