apricot

American  

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

noun

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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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 ( peach ¹, precocious ); replacing earlier abrecock < Portuguese or Spanish; later p for Middle French b perhaps < Latin praecox

Example Sentences

Unassuming from the outside, the shop opens into a huge ark of mortar-crusted brick and ribcage-like beams, with long dining tables displaying shapely vases, pitchers, teacups and plates in shades of apricot, amber and malachite.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 17, 2026

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

From Barron's • Feb. 7, 2026

But the King seemed to enjoy some of the less usual beers on offer, including one with an apricot flavour.

From BBC • Dec. 18, 2025

Also known as apricot mallow, this showy shrub has bowl-shaped flowers popular with pollinators and it’s available with white, lavender and deep reddish-orange blooms.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 2, 2025

The evening sky was awash with peach, apricot, cream: tender little ice-cream clouds in a wide orange sky.

From "The Golden Compass" by Philip Pullman