medlar
Americannoun
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a small tree, Mespilus germanica, of the rose family, the fruit of which resembles a crab apple and is not edible until the early stages of decay.
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any of certain related trees.
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the fruit of any of these trees.
noun
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a small Eurasian rosaceous tree, Mespilus germanica
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the fruit of this tree, which resembles the crab apple and is not edible until it has begun to decay
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any of several other rosaceous trees or their fruits
Etymology
Origin of medlar
1325–75; Middle English medler < Anglo-French, equivalent to medle ( Old French mesle the fruit < Latin mespilum < Greek méspilon ) + -er -er 2
Vocabulary lists containing medlar
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
We hand the results to friends and neighbors and spread the word of the glorious, troublesome medlar.
From Seattle Times ● May 24, 2024
Most people have never heard of the medlar tree.
From Seattle Times ● May 24, 2024
As a child, Lupita spent her afternoons scaling medlar trees with disconcerting skill, picking their sweet, pulpy fruit and rubbing the resin between her fingers.
From Slate ● Mar. 27, 2018
“And medlar fruit is definitely something I’m tempted to plant.”
From New York Times ● Aug. 18, 2017
Tea was ready, under the shade of the medlar tree.
From Thistle and Rose A Story for Girls by Barnes, Robert
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
