Word: apple Part of Speech: noun Etymology: Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₂ébōl Proto-Germanic *aplaz Proto-West Germanic *applu Old English æppel Middle English appel English apple The noun is derived from Middle English appel (“Malus domestica fruit or tree, apple; any type of fruit, nut, or tuber; tree bearing fruit; (figurative) ball, sphere; (Christianity) forbidden fruit in Eden”), from Old English æppel (“apple; any type of fruit; (figurative) ball, sphere; eyeball”), from Proto-West Germanic *applu (“apple; any type of fruit”), from Proto-Germanic *aplaz (“apple; any type of fruit”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂ébōl, *h₂ébl̥ (“apple”). As regards noun sense 1.4 (“forbidden fruit”), the type of fruit eaten by Adam and Eve is not identified in the Book of Genesis in the Bible. It may have come to be identified with the apple because of the similarity between Latin mālum (“apple”) and malum (“evil; misery, torment; wrongdoing”). The verb is derived from the noun. Cognates Cognate with Scots aipple (“apple”), North Frisian aapel, Oapel, ååpel (“apple”), Saterland Frisian Apel, Appel (“apple”), West Frisian apel, appel (“apple”), Alemannic German effél, epfel, epfil, öpfil (“apple”), Bavarian eipfele, epfl, Åpfe (“apple”), Cimbrian oupfal, öpfel, öpfl (“apple”), Dutch appel (“apple”), German Apfel (“apple”), German Low German Appel (“apple”), Limburgish Ape̩l, appel (“apple”), Luxembourgish Apel (“apple”), Mòcheno epfl (“apple”), Vilamovian epuł (“apple”), Yiddish עפּל (epl, “apple”), Danish æble (“apple”), Faroese epl, epli (“apple; potato”), Icelandic epli (“apple”), Norwegian Bokmål and Norwegian Nynorsk eple (“apple”), Swedish äpple (“apple”), Crimean Gothic apel (“apple”), Irish úll (“apple”), Lithuanian óbuolỹs (“apple”), Russian я́блоко (jábloko, “apple”), Welsh afal (“apple”), possibly Ancient Greek ἄμπελος (ámpelos, “vine”). Pronunciation: /ˈæpəl/, [ˈæpəl] ~ [ˈæpl̩], /ˈæː.pɘl/, /ˈɑː.pɘl/ 1. A common, firm, round fruit produced by a tree of the genus Malus. Example: All apples eaten ſoone after yͭ they be gathered, are cold, hard to digeſt, and do make ill and corrupted bloud, but being wel kept vntill yͤ next winter, or the year folowing, eatẽ [eaten] after meales, they are right holeſome, & doe confyrme the ſtomacke, & make good digeſtion, ſpecially if they be roſted or baked, […] Example: [T]hey [i.e., writers] aſſigne and lay to India, the countrey of the Aſpagores, ſo plentifull in vines, laurels, and box, and generally of all ſorts of apple trees and other fruitfull trees that grovv vvithin Greece. 2. A common, firm, round fruit produced by a tree of the genus Malus. Example: custard apple rose apple thorn apple Example: The apples wherewith the Indian Canibales inueneme theyr arrowes, growe on certeyne trees couered with many braunches and leaues beinge very greene and growyng thicke. They are laden with abundaunce of theſe euyll frutes, […] 3. A common, firm, round fruit produced by a tree of the genus Malus. Example: [H]old a round ball or hollovv apple of glaſſe full of vvater againſt the Sunne, it vvill be ſo hot, that it is ready to burne any cloth that it toucheth. Example: [S]hrugging up her Shoulders, to ſhevv the tempting Apples of her vvhite Breaſts, ſhe ſuddainly lets them ſink again, to hide them, bluſhing, as if this had been done by chance, […] 4. A common, firm, round fruit produced by a tree of the genus Malus. Labels: abbreviation, alt-of, ellipsis Example: The sweat of fear and exertion was streaming down his face and chest, and his breath came in short, tearing, hard-drawn gasps and gulps, while the apple in his throat leaped up and down ceaselessly like a ball balanced on a dancing jet of water. Example: Elsie went away with her parents to Belgium and the convent-school on the twelfth, and as they left The Firs in the battered station cab surrounded by boxes and trunks, Willie could not speak. The apple in his throat rose and remained there. 5. A common, firm, round fruit produced by a tree of the genus Malus. Labels: abbreviation, alt-of, ellipsis 6. A common, firm, round fruit produced by a tree of the genus Malus. Labels: abbreviation, alt-of, ellipsis, historical Example: None have their eies all of one colour: for the ball or apple in the middeſt is ordinarily of another colour than the vvhite about it. Example: The dart did vndergore / His eye-lid, by his eyes deare rootes; and out the apple fell, / The eye pierc'd through: […] 7. A common, firm, round fruit produced by a tree of the genus Malus. Labels: informal 8. A common, firm, round fruit produced by a tree of the genus Malus. 9. A common, firm, round fruit produced by a tree of the genus Malus. 10. A common, firm, round fruit produced by a tree of the genus Malus. Labels: obsolete, slang Example: Hey Dad! What do you say we toss the old apple around, huh? Sound like fun? 11. A common, firm, round fruit produced by a tree of the genus Malus. Example: Him [man] by fraud I [Satan] have ſeduc'd / From his Creator, and the more to increaſe / Your vvonder, vvith an Apple; […] Example: I read and re-read her letter, and some softened feelings stole into my heart, and dared to whisper paradisiacal dreams of love and joy; but the apple was already eaten, and the angel's arm bared to drive me from all hope. 12. A common, firm, round fruit produced by a tree of the genus Malus. Labels: obsolete 13. A common, firm, round fruit produced by a tree of the genus Malus. Labels: Internet, humorous Example: He's only three apples tall 14. A tree of the genus Malus; especially Malus domestica which is cultivated for its edible fruit; the apple tree. Example: Trees that beare Maſt, and Nuts, are commonly more laſting, than thoſe that beare Fruits; Eſpecially the Moiſter Fruits: As Oakes, Beeches, Cheſ-nuts, VVall-nuts, Almonds, Pine-Trees, &c. laſt longer than Apples, Peares, Plums, &c. Example: If the grafted portion of an Apple or other tree were examined after one hundred years, the old cut surfaces would still be present, for mature or ripened wood, being dead, never unites. 15. Synonym of applewood (“the wood of the apple tree”). 16. A fruit of any kind. 17. A person. Labels: broadly, often, slang Example: “I saw a little guy with a can opener fooling around that gum machine,” was the reply. “And then?” asked McGonigle. “I can’t say,” replied the poor apple. Example: “Take it easy with Thompson, Eddie,” he said lazily. “He’s a good apple but he’s mighty tough to go pushing around. He’s had a lot of bad luck lately.” 18. Synonym of CBer (“a CB radio enthusiast”). Labels: broadly, slang Example: Because of overcrowding, many a CB enthusiast (called an "apple") is strapping an illegal linear amplifier ("boots") on to his transceiver ("ears") which is limited by the Federal Communications Commission ("Big Daddy" in the US) to an output power of no more than five watts. 19. An assist. Labels: broadly, slang 20. A Native American or redskinned person who acts or thinks like a white (Caucasian) person. Labels: US, broadly, derogatory, ethnic, slang, slur Example: My ancestors five generations removed were "apples" who were "White" on the inside and "Red" on the outside. […] We need a new breed of "apples." Example: The presenter, close to tears, told the audience that she's really an apple—white on the inside and red on the outside—Native American.