apricot

American  

[ap-ri-kot, ey-pri-] / ˈæp rɪˌkɒt, ˈeɪ prɪ- /

noun

• apricots
  plural

1. the downy, yellow, sometimes rosy fruit, somewhat resembling a small peach, of the tree Prunus armeniaca.

2. the tree itself.

3. a pinkish yellow or yellowish pink.

4. Also called wild apricot.  Chiefly South Midland U.S. the maypop vine and its fruit; passionfruit.

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apricot British  

/ ˈeɪprɪˌkɒt /

noun

1. a rosaceous tree, Prunus armeniaca, native to Africa and W Asia, but widely cultivated for its edible fruit

2. the downy yellow juicy edible fruit of this tree, which resembles a small peach

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• apricots
  plural

Etymology

Origin of apricot

1545–55; < Middle French abricot < Portuguese albricoque or Spanish albar ( i ) coque < Arabic al the + barqūq < Medieval Greek < Late Latin praecocquum, for Latin ( persicum ) praecox literally, early-ripening peach, perhaps referring to the apricot ( see peach ¹, precocious); replacing earlier abrecock < Portuguese or Spanish; later p for Middle French b perhaps < Latin praecox

Explanation

An apricot is a small, yellowish-orange fruit with a hard pit. Slightly less juicy than the similar peach, apricots are a little bit tart. The fact that apricots aren't quite as juicy as some other stone fruits makes them perfect for drying — and dried apricots are chewy and sweet. The word apricot is derived from the Arabic al-barqūq, "the plums," and these two fruits are very closely related. As a color, apricot also describes a slightly rosy shade of yellow that borders on orange.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

apricot apricots

And they haven’t given up hope on finding a place for an apricot mallow to thrive.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 3, 2026

Bottle bio: Accented with peach, apricot, acacia, and floral notes, this sparkling variety hails from the cool-climate of California’s Anderson Valley.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 3, 2026

She gave me like a date, you know, and like a dried apricot, so I ate that.

From Barron's ● Feb. 7, 2026

On her website, she sells apricot kernels for their "potential health benefits" along with nutritional supplements, and offers information and advice.

From BBC ● Jun. 23, 2025

Bees simmered; a lush apricot swoon weighted the air.

From "The Milagro Beanfield War" by John Nichols

Already, a previous warm weather spell forced him to harvest apricots five days earlier than planned this year, on May 1, he said.

From Barron's ● May 26, 2026

Cherries and other stone fruits, including apricots and plums, require a certain number of cold hours.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 19, 2026

For snacks, I graze rather than feast: dried apricots, dates with almond butter and sea salt, cucumber rolled with herby cream cheese and lunch meat.

From Salon ● Sep. 9, 2025

Coronation chicken sandwiches are made with dried apricots or sultanas, too.

From BBC ● Jun. 27, 2025

She thought it was from eating too much food; it was the season of golden peaches, apricots, and young com cooked with basil in clay casseroles.

From "The House of the Spirits: A Novel" by Isabel Allende