greengage

American  

[green-geyj] / ˈgrinˌgeɪdʒ /

noun

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

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greengage British  

/ ˈɡriːnˌɡeɪdʒ /

noun

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

2. the fruit of this tree

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Etymology

Origin of greengage

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

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

greengage

He once wrote about asking for the local guava jelly in one of Trinidad's intellectual clubs, only to be told that they only had English greengage jam.

From Time Magazine Archive

Sometimes a little lemon-juice can be added with advantage, and in the case of cherry ice and greengage ice a little noyeau added is an improvement.

From Cassell's Vegetarian Cookery A Manual of Cheap and Wholesome Diet by Payne, A. G.

The orange, apricot, and greengage plum were the best I ever tasted; and it is the only place where I saw the wild cucumber.

From The Life Of Thomas Paine, Vol. II. (of II) With A History of His Literary, Political and Religious Career in America France, and England by Conway, Moncure Daniel

And apples, of course—three or four dozen of those good eaters—and a little pot of my greengage preserves—Edward'll like that.

From Lucy Maud Montgomery Short Stories, 1902 to 1903 by Montgomery, L. M. (Lucy Maud)

You remember that we represented him by a football, while the earth was only a greengage plum.

From The Children's Book of Stars by Mitton, G. E. (Geraldine Edith)