kumquat
or cum·quat
[kuhm-kwot]
- 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.
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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. 2018
Examples from the Web for kumquat
Contemporary Examples
I love the sweet-tart taste of fresh cranberries, and the combination with kumquat is the perfect pitch.
Historical Examples
The Kumquat comes true to seed, and may also be propagated by grafting and budding.
Fruits of the Hawaiian IslandsGerrit Parmile Wilder
kumquat
cumquat
- 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
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Word Origin
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
n.
1690s, from Chinese (Cantonese) kamkwat, from kam "golden" + kwat "orange." Cantonese dialectal form of Chinese kin-ku.
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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper