maypop

[ mey-pop ]

noun

1. the edible fruit of the passionflower, Passiflora incarnata, of the southern U.S.
2. the plant itself.
3. South Midland and Southern U.S. May apple.

Word History and Origins

Origin of maypop¹

1850–55, Americanism; probably taboo deformation of earlier maycock, earlier maracock, perhaps < Virginia Algonquian

Example Sentences

Vonetta and Fern threw purple maypop petals and blew dandelions as they hobbled down the aisle.

From Literature

On Sundays we'd strike out for the big woods and we'd gather our dresses full of hickory nuts, walnuts and berries and a sour apple called 'maypop.'

From Project Gutenberg