May apple

American  

Or Mayapple

noun

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

2. the fruit itself.

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May apple British  

noun

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

2. the fruit of this plant

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Etymology

Origin of May apple

An Americanism dating back to 1725–35

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

May apple

The forest now hosts a rich variety of native plants, including May apple, ferns, grasses, azaleas and magnolias.

From Washington Post ● Dec. 1, 2022

Podophyllum resin, or podophyllin, is the resin of the dried root of the mandrake or May apple; Carter combined this with the dried juice of aloes.

From Time Magazine Archive

The leaf and stalk part of the May apple are of a poisonous nature.

From The Library of Work and Play: Gardening and Farming. by Ellen Eddy Shaw

"That's a May apple," he said, suddenly and reluctantly.

From A Maid of the Kentucky Hills by Edwin Carlile Litsey

Take equal parts, say of each half an ounce, of finely powdered blue flag root, bloodroot, May apple root, golden seal root, and bitterroot.

From The Ladies Book of Useful Information Compiled from many sources by Anonymous

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