apricot

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

noun

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.

apricot

/ 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

Word History and Origins

Origin of apricot¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of apricot¹

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

Example Sentences

The vast majority of apricots grown domestically are from California, and these yellow fruits have a velvety skin that isn’t quite smooth, but isn’t as fuzzy as that of a peach.

From Washington Post

This wine, named for the year the company was founded, is bright and light in body, with orchard flavors of apricots and peaches.

From Washington Post

Wellfleet oysters and a Goombay Smash, made with apricot brandy, two rums, some fruit juice, and more rum on top.

From Outside Online

GREAT VALUEGood, straightforward chardonnay, bursting with orchard flavors of peach and apricot and with a soft texture that suggests it spent time in older barrels.

From Washington Post

In the glass you get honey marzipan coating zested blood orange, like eating the apricot and the pit all in one bite, with an enormously long, starchy breadiness.

From Eater

When cool, remove from tin and brush cake with the apricot jelly.

From The Daily Beast

A pluot is a hybrid of plum and apricot, dominated by plummy characteristics and lighter on the apricot.

From The Daily Beast

The pluot, for instance, is legally different from another apricot-plum hybrid, the “Dinosaur Egg,” sold on the market today.

From The Daily Beast

Pour half of the syrupy liquid over the pandoro and apricot base.

From The Daily Beast

The prune trees took up the glad news and whispered it to the apricot trees, "It is a boy."

From Project Gutenberg

"He is now a little man, with a loose skin the colour of a finely-lacquered apricot," replied the woman.

From Project Gutenberg

Adelaide washed and wiped each apricot thoroughly, cut it in halves and removed the stone.

From Project Gutenberg

Cut bread into thin slices, butter one slice, and spread the other of each pair of slices with the apricot filling.

From Project Gutenberg

Soak and stew dried apricots and force these through a sieve to make apricot purée.

From Project Gutenberg