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fruit Definition

fruit (fro̵̅o̅t)

noun pl. fruit or fruits

  1. any plant product, as grain, flax, vegetables, etc.: usually used in pl.
  2. the edible plant structure of a mature ovary of a flowering plant, usually eaten raw: many fruits which are not sweet, as tomatoes, beans, green peppers, etc., are popularly called vegetables
  3. the quality of being fruity (sense ); fruitiness: said of wine
  4. the result, product, or consequence of any action fruit of hard work
  5. ☆ Slang a male homosexual: term of contempt or derision
  6. Archaic the young of animals or man
  7. Bot. the mature ovary of a flowering plant, together with its contents, and any closely connected parts, as the whole peach, pea pod, cucumber, etc.

Etymology: ME < OFr < L fructus, enjoyment, means of enjoyment, fruit, produce, profit < pp. of frui, to partake of, enjoy < IE base *bhrūg-, fruit, to enjoy > brook

intransitive verb, transitive verb

to bear or cause to bear fruit

fruit Synonyms

fruit

n.

  1. The edible growth of a plant

    fruitage, berry, drupe, grain, nut, root, tuber, pome. see also apple 1, cherry, melon, orange 2, peach, pear.

    Common fruits include: apple, pear, peach, nectarine, plum, orange, tangerine, tangelo, grapefruit, banana, pineapple, coconut, carambola, star fruit, watermelon, cantaloupe, honeydew melon, casaba, papaya, mango, kiwi, guava, passion fruit, grape, lime, lemon, persimmon, pomegranate, raspberry, blackberry, loganberry, strawberry, cranberry, blueberry, olive, date, fig, apricot, cherry, raisin, avocado, huckleberry, gooseberry, quince, kumquat, durian;

  2. The ripened ovary of a seed plant

    seed pod, envelope, capsule, follicle, grain, nut, schizocarp, legume, silique.

  3. The reward of labor; often plural

    profits, products, consequences, outcome; see pay 1, result.

fruit Usage Examples

Converse of object

  • bear: Have, for example, all your business ventures borne lavish fruit too?
  • dry: Adding dried fruit like raisins, dates or figs will also boost your iron intake.
  • eat: They reported that eating more fruit may help in reducing the risk of lung cancer.
  • forbid: Working back again, we come of course to the story of the humans, the snake and the forbidden fruit.

Preposition: on

palate: There was lots of fruit on the palate, balanced by firm tannins, leading to a long finish.

Adjective modifier

  • citrus: So if you want to eat citrus fruits, do so quickly.
  • fresh: Diet Tips For a sweet snack, you'd be better off choosing fresh fruit.
  • ripe: Quite lip-smacking ripe fruit on the palate with very notable sandy tannins.
  • tropical: It is the time when you most crave warm beaches and tropical fruit, and yet are least likely to get them.
  • exotic: People now buy exotic fruits from all over the world by just going to Sainsbury's.
  • soft: During the season you can pick your own soft fruit or the asparagus for which the farm has become famous.

Modifies a noun

  • juice: Not too bad, kind of like mixing Sprite with a very weak fruit juice.
  • salad: Once you have discarded the hard seeds, add chunks to fruit salads.
  • smoothie: Why not write, " Innocent drinks make 100 % fresh fruit smoothies.
  • tree: Think about position of fruit trees in relation to timber trees.
  • flavor: Game, set and match to natural fruit flavor!
  • cake: How can I be sure the fruit in my fruit cake will not sink?

Noun used with modifier

  • berry: Other tasters noted herbs, spices and berry fruits.
  • blackcurrant: The palate was big and tough - the tannins fighting it out with blackberry and blackcurrant fruit.
  • passion: They are a good partner for lightly fried bananas and passion fruit.