pineapple
Americannoun
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the edible, juicy, collective fruit of a tropical, bromeliaceous plant, Ananas comosus, that develops from a spike or head of flowers and is surmounted by a crown of leaves.
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the plant itself, having a short stem and rigid, spiny-margined, recurved leaves.
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Military Slang. a fragmentation hand grenade.
noun
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a tropical American bromeliaceous plant, Ananas comosus, cultivated in the tropics for its large fleshy edible fruit
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the fruit of this plant, consisting of an inflorescence clustered around a fleshy axis and surmounted by a tuft of leaves
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slang military a hand grenade
Etymology
Origin of pineapple
1350–1400 for earlier sense; 1655–65 pineapple for def. 1; Middle English pinappel pine cone; pine 1, apple
Explanation
A pineapple is a sweet tropical fruit with a tough leathery skin and spiky leaves on top. Pineapple is excellent, whether eaten as a snack, in a sweet dessert, in savory dishes like fried rice, or even on pizza. The word pineapple was first used to mean "pine cone," and the fruit was given this name because of its (slight) resemblance to a large pine cone. Pineapples are more commonly called ananas in other parts of the world, from the Tupi nanas, or "excellent fruit." Images of pineapples are commonly used to represent hospitality.
Vocabulary lists containing pineapple
Africa - Introductory
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South America - Middle School
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South America - Introductory
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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.
The dry-aged grilled branzino was flaky and beautifully cooked, but the standout was the chicken al pastor, served with a fresh pineapple salad and pineapple butter—bright, savory, and just a little indulgent.
From Salon • Mar. 31, 2026
Brayen is allergic to dairy, banana, pineapple, peas, green beans, wheat, egg, soya, nuts and peanuts, kiwi, root vegetables and pea protein.
From BBC • Mar. 20, 2026
My Domino’s order is a small pepperoni, pineapple, olives and sausage slice ... hand tossed, cheesed up, and then I will get a side of garlic knots and a side of buffalo wings with ranch.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 6, 2026
Just combine coconut cream and pineapple juice and serve the finished drink either blended with or over ice.
From Salon • Jan. 18, 2026
That pineapple plan of his was starting to get on my nerves.
From "Wish" by Barbara O'Connor
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.
