May apple

or Mayapple

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noun

an American plant, Podophyllum peltatum, of the barberry family, bearing an edible, yellowish, egg-shaped fruit.

the fruit itself.

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Origin of May apple

An Americanism dating back to 1725–35

Words nearby May apple

may, maya, Mayagüez, Mayakovski, Mayan, May apple, Mayas, maybe, Maybeck, May beetle, maybird

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

How to use May apple in a sentence

From the tincture of the root (rhizomes) of may-apple (Podophyllum peltatum).
Cooley's Cyclopdia of Practical Receipts and Collateral Information in the Arts, Manufactures, Professions, and Trades..., Sixth Edition, Volume I|Arnold Cooley
Of the May-apple, I did not raise one green tent without finding a flower beneath.
At Home And Abroad|Margaret Fuller Ossoli
While the fruit of the May-apple is edible, the leaves and root are poisonous, not to the touch but to the taste.
On the Trail|Lina Beard and Adelia Belle Beard
The shadows of the May-apple stalks were getting longer and longer.
Up Terrapin River|Opie P. Read

The broad leaves and waxen flowers of the May-apple carpeted unexpected clearings.
Mountain|Clement Wood

British Dictionary definitions for May apple

May apple

noun

an American berberidaceous plant, Podophyllum peltatum, with edible yellowish egg-shaped fruit

the fruit of this plant

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