pomegranate

American  

[pom-gran-it, pom-i-, puhm-] / ˈpɒmˌgræn ɪt, ˈpɒm ɪ-, ˈpʌm- /

noun

• pomegranates
  plural

1. a chambered, many-seeded, globose fruit, having a tough, usually red rind and surmounted by a crown of calyx lobes, the edible portion consisting of pleasantly acid flesh developed from the outer seed coat.

2. the shrub or small tree, Punica granatum, that bears it, native to southwestern Asia but widely cultivated in warm regions.

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pomegranate British  

/ ˈpɒmˌɡrænɪt, ˈpɒmɪˌɡrænɪt /

noun

1. an Asian shrub or small tree, Punica granatum, cultivated in semitropical regions for its edible fruit: family Punicaceae

2. the many-chambered globular fruit of this tree, which has tough reddish rind, juicy red pulp, and many seeds

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• pomegranates
  plural

Etymology

Origin of pomegranate

1275–1325; Middle English poumgarnet, pomegarnade (< Old French pome grenate, pome gernete ), representing Medieval Latin pōmum grānātum literally, seedy apple. See pome, grenade

Explanation

A pomegranate is a large, red-skinned fruit with delicious, juicy seeds. Eating a pomegranate can be messy. You can probably find a pomegranate at a large grocery store in the produce section. It won't look very enticing, with its rough, leathery peel, but once you cut it open and pop out the ruby red seeds, you'll understand why it's many people's favorite fruit. The Latin root of pomegranate is pomum granatum, literally "apple with many seeds." Pome means "apple," and granatum comes from the Latin word for "seed or grain," granum.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

pomegranate pomegranates

“I’ve been studying Community Emergency Response Team training,” the actor-musician, 41, said, drinking coffee in the living room of her home overlooking pomegranate trees and a canyon in northeast L.A.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 8, 2026

Options already exist for fixing dyes without lead, including natural mordants derived from plants rich in tannins, such as oak bark, pomegranate peel and rosemary, as well as alum, which is considered environmentally safe.

From Science Daily ● Apr. 2, 2026

Coffee and fruit is a popular pairing among Vietnam’s younger drinkers, including those inside Blackbird’s Old Quarter location, where teens and 20-somethings sip espresso drinks spiked with banana, mango, pomegranate, kumquat, sugar cane and more.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 17, 2026

The pendant unites the Tudor rose with Katherine's pomegranate symbol, and features a banner that reads "tousiors", the old French for "always".

From BBC ● Feb. 9, 2026

But the other satisfied every cherished idea of a fairy: tall and graceful, with huge eyes, skin as unblemished as satin, lips as red as pomegranate seeds, and cheeks the color of early sunset.

From "Ella Enchanted" by Gail Carson Levine

Homes are clustered on a hill that sports vistas of the sea and trees dripping with figs and pomegranates.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 9, 2026

There were peaches, pomegranates, even a couple of bright-pink dragon fruits.

From Slate ● Jan. 27, 2026

Kabul also sent apples and pomegranates to Russia for the first time last month.

From Barron's ● Nov. 21, 2025

The pomegranates, squash and apples were in season, pink guavas were so ripe you could smell their heady scent from a distance, and nutrient-packed yams were ready for the holidays.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 10, 2025

We had picked a dozen pomegranates from the tree.

From "The Kite Runner" by Khaled Hosseini

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