fruit cup

American

noun

an assortment of fruits cut into sections or pieces and served in a cup or a glass as an appetizer or dessert.

fruit cup British

noun

a variety of fruits served in a cup or glass as an appetizer or dessert

"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

Etymology

Origin of fruit cup

An Americanism dating back to 1925–30

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.

The fruit cup and slices are a picnic staple from a Mexican fruit cart.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 13, 2026

And thanks to additional restrictions on certain prepared foods, the rules reach peak absurdity: a fruit cup sold with a spoon is forbidden, yet a slice of cake with a fork is fine.

From Salon • Jan. 3, 2026

On Tuesday, TGD Cuts, LLC launched a recall of specific fresh fruit cup, clamshell and tray products that contained cantaloupe from the company TruFresh.

From Seattle Times • Dec. 7, 2023

Salted cashews, a plastic fruit cup, homemade crafts.

From New York Times • Feb. 28, 2019

Older kids—fourth and fifth graders—are in line as women with hairnets pile their trays with spaghetti, a fruit cup, and a cookie.

From "Towers Falling" by Jewell Parker Rhodes

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023