quince

American  

[kwins] / kwɪns /

noun

1. either of two small trees, Cydonia oblonga or C. sinensis, of the rose family, bearing hard, fragrant, yellowish fruit used chiefly for making jelly or preserves.

2. the fruit of such a tree.

---

quince British  

/ kwɪns /

noun

1. a small widely cultivated Asian rosaceous tree, Cydonia oblonga, with pinkish-white flowers and edible pear-shaped fruits

2. the acid-tasting fruit of this tree, much used in preserves

3. Also: Japanese or flowering quince.  another name for japonica

---

Etymology

Origin of quince

1275–1325; Middle English quince, apparently originally plural (taken as singular) of quyne, coyn < Middle French cooin < Latin cotōneum, akin to cydōnium < Greek ( mêlon ) Kydṓnion quince, literally, (apple) of Cydonia

Explanation

A quince is a flowering tree whose fruit is also called quince. A quince looks a lot like a pear, although most varieties taste very sour. Quince trees are often grown ornamentally, rather than for their fruit — their soft, wide pink or white blossoms are beautiful, and many varieties smell just as lovely. The fruit of some quinces is sweet enough to be eaten raw, but most is harvested for jam or jelly, or added to other fruit in pies. Quince can also be fermented and made into wine and digestifs.

Example Sentences

“I have a box of quince, another of stone fruit peaches and plums,” he’ll text.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 2, 2026

The occasional lucky Seattleite still can enjoy quince from a neighbor’s yard.

From Seattle Times • Oct. 31, 2023

The village was under occupation by the Russian army, so Vadym went out periodically from their shell-damaged house to dig in a far corner of the garden shaded by apricot and quince trees.

From BBC • Jun. 10, 2022

In two weeks traveling through Morocco, I never ate anything more delicious than that chicken neck, although it was equaled a few nights later by a lamb and quince tagine cooked by the same woman.

From New York Times • May 31, 2022

They let rooms in a tidy little boarding house not far from the Exchange and tried every new food they saw, stuffing themselves sick on quince candy.

From "Six of Crows" by Leigh Bardugo