bitter apple
Americannoun
noun
Etymology
Origin of bitter apple
First recorded in 1860–65
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“You can also use something like bitter apple spray on the entire length of the lights, and that will deter any chewing.”
From Slate • Dec. 7, 2019
Collinquintida Ð a bitter apple of the gourd family whose soft fruit made a purgative drug 59.
From The Noble Spanish Soldier by Dekker, Thomas
Felix prayed earnestly that he might be enabled to eat a bitter apple without making a face.
From The Story Girl by Montgomery, L. M. (Lucy Maud)
Dat ole blue mass and bitter apple would keep us out all night.
From Slave Narratives: A Folk History of Slavery in the United States From Interviews with Former Slaves: Volume XVI, Texas Narratives, Part 3 by United States. Work Projects Administration
I never prayed that you couldn't eat a bitter apple.
From The Story Girl by Montgomery, L. M. (Lucy Maud)
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
