apricot

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

noun

the downy, yellow, sometimes rosy fruit, somewhat resembling a small peach, of the tree Prunus armeniaca.
the tree itself.
a pinkish yellow or yellowish pink.
Also called wild apricot. Chiefly South Midland U.S. the maypop vine and its fruit; passionfruit.

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 (see peach1, precocious); replacing earlier abrecock < Portuguese or Spanish; later p for Middle French b perhaps < Latin praecox

Example sentences from the Web for apricot

British Dictionary definitions for apricot

apricot
/ (ˈeɪprɪˌkɒt) /

noun

a rosaceous tree, Prunus armeniaca, native to Africa and W Asia, but widely cultivated for its edible fruit
the downy yellow juicy edible fruit of this tree, which resembles a small peach

Word Origin for apricot

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