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definitions

May apple

or May·ap·ple

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

Origin of May apple

An Americanism dating back to 1725–35
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for may apple

Historical Examples of may apple

  • The shadows of the May-apple stalks were getting longer and longer.

    Up Terrapin River

    Opie P. Read

  • She was terribly stiff and she had slept near a bed of May-apple blossoms.

    More Tish

    Mary Roberts Rinehart

  • His daughter smiled, and asked him some idle question about the May-apple and the Judas-tree.

    Audrey

    Mary Johnston

  • One of the most delicious wild fruits we have is the May-apple or mandrake.

    On the Trail

    Lina Beard and Adelia Belle Beard

  • We are told that the May-apple is a roadside plant, but I have found it only in the woods.

    On the Trail

    Lina Beard and Adelia Belle Beard

British Dictionary definitions for may apple

May apple

noun
  1. an American berberidaceous plant, Podophyllum peltatum, with edible yellowish egg-shaped fruit
  2. 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