greengage

[ green-geyj ]

/ ˈgrinˌgeɪdʒ /

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noun

any of several varieties of light-green plums, as Prunus insititia italica.

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Origin of greengage

1715–25; green + Gage, after Sir William Gage, 18th-century English botanist who introduced such varieties from France circa 1725

Words nearby greengage

greenfish, green flag, green flash, greenfly, green footprint, greengage, green gentian, green gland, green glass, Green Goddess, Greengrass

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use greengage in a sentence

Speaking of the greengage, he says, "its taste is so exquisitely sweet and delicious, that nothing can exceed it."
On the Portraits of English Authors on Gardening,|Samuel Felton
So Harry went to Jane, to see her dish up greengage plums which he must not touch: and Hugh ran up the stairs.
The Crofton Boys|Harriet Martineau
The pits of greengage plums they cracked between their teeth for the kernels inside.
The People of the Abyss|Jack London
One pint of greengage plums, after being rubbed through a sieve, one large cup of sugar, the yolks of two eggs well beaten.
The Whitehouse Cookbook (1887)|Mrs. F.L. Gillette

She held up her hand for a catch, and with resignation he threw her another greengage.
Roden's Corner|Henry Seton Merriman

British Dictionary definitions for greengage

greengage

/ (ˈɡriːnˌɡeɪdʒ) /

noun

a cultivated variety of plum tree, Prunus domestica italica, with edible green plumlike fruits

the fruit of this tree

Word Origin for greengage

C18: green + -gage, after Sir W. Gage (1777–1864), English botanist who brought it from France

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