apricot

[ ap-ri-kot, ey-pri- ]

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.

apricot

/ 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

Word History and Origins

Origin of apricot¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of apricot¹

C16: earlier apricock, from Portuguese ( albricoque ) or Spanish, from Arabic al-birqūq the apricot, from Late Greek praikokion, from Latin praecox early-ripening; see precocious

Example Sentences

But for long, long decades before, Santa Clara County was “the Valley of Heart’s Delight,” a bee-and-blossom Eden of fragrant fruit: cherries, apricots, and mostly plums for prunes.

From Los Angeles Times

When Augusztiny purchased the home in 1996, the traditional yard looked like many others on his street, with a Bermuda grass lawn, assorted shrubs and an apricot tree.

From Los Angeles Times

The yard already had a few fruit trees — fig, plum, pomegranate and guava — and she’s added a few more, including a Meyer lemon, apricot and orange.

From Los Angeles Times

When Augusztiny purchased the home in 1996, the traditional yard looked like many others on his street with a Bermuda grass lawn, assorted shrubs and an apricot tree.

From Los Angeles Times

Like plums and apricots, peaches are stone fruits, which means they have a thin outer skin and a large pit in the center.

From Seattle Times