peach
Language: English
Part of speech: noun
Pronunciation: enpr: pēch
ipa: /piːt͡ʃ/
rhymes: -iːtʃ
Forms: form: peaches
Etymology: From Middle English peche, borrowed from Old French pesche (French pêche), Vulgar Latin *pessica (cf. Medieval Latin pesca) from Late Latin persica, from Classical Latin mālum persicum, from Ancient Greek μᾶλον περσικόν (mâlon persikón, “Persian apple”). Displaced Middle English persogʒe, from Old English persoc, from the same Latin root above.
Senses: examples: text: I think it the best way to plant the fifteen sorts, and the hard Peaches I have mentioned, in the same order as they stand in the list.
ref: 1768, M. Combles, A Treatise Upon the Culture of Peach Trees, page 8:
text: Several attempts have been made to class the varieties of Peaches and Nectarines by the leaf and flower, as well as the fruit.
ref: 1840, Thomas Bridgeman, The Young Gardener’s Assistant, page 136:
text: Scattered plantings of peaches are maintained on the light-textured deep alluvial soils of the Foster, Cajon, Hanford, Hesperia, and Greenfield series west of Porterville, near Woodville, Poplar, Sausalito School, and farther south along the Kern County boundary line north of Delano.
ref: 1942, Raymond Earl Storie, Soil Survey, the Pixley Area, California, volume 1, page 11:
text: State universities and U.S. Department of Agriculture facilities have largely replaced the private state and national pomological and horticultural organizations as the primary researchers for peach cultivation.
ref: 2014, Melissa Walker, The New Encyclopedia of Southern Culture, volume 11, page 183:
synonyms: peach tree
glosses: Any tree of species Prunus persica, native to China and now widely cultivated throughout temperate regions, having pink flowers and edible fruit.
examples: text: [A]nd that the English should eat peaches in May, and green pease in October, sounds to Italian ears as a miracle; they comfort themselves, however, by saying that they must be very insipid, while we know that fruits forced by strong fire are at least many of them higher in flavour than those produced by sun […]
ref: 1789, Hester Lynch Piozzi, Observations and Reflections Made in the Course of a Journey Through France, Italy, and Germany, volume II, page 191:
text: When dissolved, stir it up well, and put in the peaches, without crowding them, and boil them slowly about twenty minutes.
ref: 1869, The American Housewife and Kitchen Directory, page 104:
text: Shall I part my hair behind? Do I dare eat a peach? / I shall wear white flannel trousers, and walk upon the beach.
ref: 1915 June, T[homas] S[tearns] Eliot, “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock”, in Prufrock and Other Observations, London: The Egoist […], published 1917, →OCLC, page 15:
text: Boiling water or steam loosens the peel of very ripe peaches, especially freestone or melting-flesh types, in 10–30 sec.
ref: 2012, Jasper Woodroof, Commercial Fruit Processing, page 103:
glosses: Soft juicy stone fruit of the peach tree, having yellow flesh, downy, red-tinted yellow skin, and a deeply sculptured pit or stone containing a single seed.
examples: text: To dye one chip bonnet peach colour, put four ounces of cudbear in one gallon of water, make it boil, and put one ounce of soda in the liquor.
ref: 1854, Thomas Love, The Art of Cleaning, Dyeing, Scouring and Finishing, etc, page 242:
text: If the dye is for a light color such as peach, more dry dye could be used.
ref: 1990, Lila Fretz, Hooking Rugs: Storey’s Country Wisdom Bulletin, page 27:
text: Circle Quilt throw in peach and green
ref: 2013, Kim Eichler-Messmer, Modern Color—An Illustrated Guide to Dyeing Fabric for Modern Quilts, page 61:
glosses: A light yellow-red colour.
examples: text: How did the common expressions "She's a peach!" and "He has a peach of a job!" arise if not because the peach of all fruits is a symbol of perfection?
ref: 1922 September, Lucile Brewer, “Fourteen Peach Delicacies”, in The Delineator, volume 101, page 58:
text: Walking on the beaches / looking at the peaches
ref: 1977, “Peaches”, in Rattus Norvegicus, performed by The Stranglers:
text: Except for the loss of Uncle Jack's income, his mother's growing disenchantment with her domestic arrangements, and the deepening Depression, it was a peach of a time for Berryman.
ref: 1996, Paul L. Mariani, Dream Song: The Life of John Berryman, page 30:
text: Arsenal's dominance was reflected in a flurry of goals before half-time – three in six minutes: first, Podolski turned the screw with a peach of a free-kick; then Gervinho accelerated on to Mikel Arteta's beautifully crafted pass and beat Davis at his near post with conviction; and finally Southampton's defence unspooled completely when Gervinho broke to release Gibbs, whose return ball cannoned off Nathaniel Clyne for Southampton's second own goal of a sobering afternoon.
ref: 2012 September 15, Amy Lawrence, “Arsenal's Gervinho enjoys the joy of six against lowly Southampton”, in Alan Rusbridger, editor, The Guardian, London: Guardian News & Media, →ISSN, →OCLC:
glosses: A particularly admirable or pleasing person or thing.
examples: text: Down on the beaches, just look at all the peaches
ref: 1977, “Peaches”, performed by the Stranglers:
text: Gia danced around a little, shaking her peaches for show. She shook it hard. Too hard. In the middle of a shimmy, her stomach cramped. A fart slipped out. A loud one. And stinky.
ref: 2011, Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi, A Shore Thing:
glosses: Buttock or bottom.
Hypernyms: fruit
Derived terms: alt: Sarcocephalus latifolius
word: African peach
taxonomic: Prunus andersonii
word: Anderson's peachbrush
taxonomic: Prunus persica subsp. platycarpa
word: belly-up peach
word: bloom is off the peach
word: blush is off the peach
taxonomic: Prunus persica subsp. platycarpa
word: Chinese peach
word: cling peach
word: clingstone peach
taxonomic: Prunus persica subsp. platycarpa
word: custard peach
taxonomic: Prunus andersonii
word: desert peach
taxonomic: Prunus persica subsp. platycarpa
word: donut peach
word: doughnut peach
taxonomic: Prunus persica subsp. platycarpa
word: flat peach
word: freestone peach
word: freeze peach
taxonomic: Prunus persica var. nectarina
word: fuzzless peach
taxonomic: Myzus persicae
word: green peach aphid
alt: Sarcocephalus latifolius
word: Guinea peach
taxonomic: Prunus persica subsp. platycarpa
word: hat peach
word: Indian peach
taxonomic: Prunus persica subsp. platycarpa
word: Jupiter peach
taxonomic: Synanthedon pictipes
word: lesser peach tree borer
word: little peach
word: longevity peach
taxonomic: Prunus persica subsp. platycarpa
word: pan tao peach
taxonomic: Prunus persica subsp. platycarpa
word: paraguayo peach
word: peacharita
alt: Phloeotribus liminaris
word: peach bark beetle
word: peach blossom
word: peachblow
word: peach borer
word: peachbush
word: Peach County
word: peachen
word: peacherine
word: peacherino
word: peachery
word: peaches and cream
word: peach-fronted parakeet
taxonomic: Eupsittula aurea
word: peach-fronted conure
alt: Carpasina niponesis
word: peach fruit borer
word: peach fruit moth
word: peachfuzz
word: peach fuzz
word: peaching
word: peachish
word: peachleaf
taxonomic: Campanula persicifolia
word: peachleaf bellflower
word: peach leaf curl
word: peach-leaf willow
taxonomic: Salix amygdaloides
word: peachleaf willow
word: peachless
word: peachlet
word: peachlike
word: peach melba
taxonomic: Quercus phellos
word: peach oak
word: peach of immortality
taxonomic: Bactris gasipaes
word: peach palm
word: peach phony disease
word: peach pit
word: peach-pit
taxonomic: Myzus persicae
word: peach-potato aphid
taxonomic: Careproctus scottae
word: peachskin snailfish
alt: Allocareproctus tanix
word: peach snailfish
word: Peach Springs
taxonomic: Lycium cooperi
word: peach thorn
word: peachtini
word: peachtree
word: peach tree
taxonomic: Anarsia lineatella
word: peach twig borer
word: peach water
word: peachwood
word: peachy
word: peachy keen
word: phony peach disease
word: pickle peach
taxonomic: Prunus persica subsp. platycarpa
word: pita peach
word: plum peach
word: press peach
taxonomic: Prunus persica subsp. platycarpa
word: Saturn peach
taxonomic: Prunus persica subsp. platycarpa
word: saucer peach
alt: Halocynthia spp.
word: sea peach
alt: Sarcocephalus latifolius
word: Sierra Leone peach
taxonomic: Prunus minutiflora
word: smallflower peachbrush
word: sweetcap peach
taxonomic: Prunus texana
word: Texas peachbrush
taxonomic: Prunus persica subsp. platycarpa
word: UFO peach
taxonomic: Solanum lycopersicum
word: wolf's peach