kumquat
or cum·quat
[ kuhm-kwot ]
/ ˈkʌm kwɒt /
|
noun
a small, round or oblong citrus fruit having a sweet rind and acid pulp, used chiefly for preserves.
any of several citrus shrubs of the genus Fortunella, native to China, that bear this fruit.
Nearby words
Origin of kumquat
1865–70; < dialectal Chinese (Guangdong) gāmgwāt gold citrus fruit, akin to Chinese jīnjù
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for kumquat
I love the sweet-tart taste of fresh cranberries, and the combination with kumquat is the perfect pitch.
The Kumquat comes true to seed, and may also be propagated by grafting and budding.
Fruits of the Hawaiian Islands|Gerrit Parmile Wilder
British Dictionary definitions for kumquat
kumquat
cumquat
/ (ˈkʌmkwɒt) /
noun
any of several small Chinese trees of the rutaceous genus Fortunella
the small round orange fruit of such a tree, with a sweet rind, used in preserves and confections
Word Origin for kumquat
C17: from Chinese (Cantonese) kam kwat, representing Mandarin Chinese chin chü golden orange
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Word Origin and History for kumquat
kumquat
1690s, from Chinese (Cantonese) kamkwat, from kam "golden" + kwat "orange." Cantonese dialectal form of Chinese kin-ku.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper