caprifig

[ kap-ruh-fig ]
/ ˈkæp rəˌfɪg /

noun

the wild fig, Ficus carica, bearing an inedible fruit used in pollination of the edible fig.
the fruit itself.

Origin of caprifig

1350–1400; Middle English < Latin caprifīcus the wild fig tree, literally, the goat-fig, equivalent to capri- capri- + ficus fig1

Words nearby caprifig

capricorn, capricornia, capricornian, capricornus, caprification, caprifig, caprifoliaceous, caprine, capriole, capriote, capris

Example sentences from the Web for caprifig

  • At the same time she covers the ordinary flowers with pollen from the caprifig.

    The Romance of Plant Life |G. F. Scott Elliot

  • The one (caprifig) produces only male or pollen-yielding flowers.

    The Romance of Plant Life |G. F. Scott Elliot

  • Inside the caprifig are the grubs of the fig-wasp, which rejoice in the name of Blastophaga grossorum.

    The Romance of Plant Life |G. F. Scott Elliot

British Dictionary definitions for caprifig

caprifig
/ (ˈkæprɪˌfɪɡ) /

noun

a wild variety of fig, Ficus carica sylvestris, of S Europe and SW Asia, used in the caprification of the edible fig

Word Origin for caprifig

C15: from Latin caprifīcus literally: goat fig, from caper goat + fīcus fig 1