English

Etymology

(1125–75) Middle English fruit (fruits and vegetables) < Old French fruit < Latin fructus (enjoyment, proceeds, profits, produce, income), a derivative of Latin frui (to have the benefit of, to use, to enjoy) < Proto-Indo-European base *bhrug- (to make use of, have enjoyment of). Cognate with Modern German brauchen (to use).

Pronunciation

• fro͞ot, /fruːt/, /fru:t/

  Rhymes: -uːt

Noun

fruit (see Usage notes for discussion of plural)

1. (botany) The part of a plant, often edible, often colourful/colorful and fragrant, produced after blossoming and containing one or more seeds; also used in a technically imprecise sense for some sweet or sweetish vegetables, such as rhubarb, that resemble a true fruit or are used in cookery as if they were a fruit.
2. (figuratively) A positive end result or reward of labour/labor or effort.

   His labours bore fruit

3. (figuratively) A child of a marriage.

   fruit of the union

4. (offensive slang) A homosexual or effeminate man.

Usage notes

• In the botanical and figurative senses, fruit is a singular noun and also used as a collective noun. Fruits is also sometimes used as the plural in the botanical sense.
• When fruit is used as a collective noun in the botanical sense, a piece of fruit is often used as the corresponding singular form.
• In senses other than the botanical or figurative ones derived from the botanical sense, the plural is fruits.

Translations

part of plant

figuratively: positive end result or reward of labour or effort

figuratively: child of a marriage

offensive slang: homosexual or effeminate man

Translations to be checked

The translations below need to be checked by native speakers and inserted into the appropriate tables above. The numbering, where used, is unreliable.

• Breton: frouezh (collective noun) frouezhenn singular f
• Catalan: fruit m, fruita f
• Esperanto: frukto
• Indonesian: buah
• Interlingua: fructo
• Marathi: फळ (phala)
• Persian: میوه (mive)
• Romanian: fruct n
• Slovak: ovocie n (1), plod m (3,4)
• Swedish: frukt (1,2,3)

Some types of fruit

• akee
• apple
• apricot
• banana
• berry
• bilberry
• blackberry
• blackcurrant
• blueberry
• cantaloupe
• cherry
• Chinese gooseberry
• clementine
• cloudberry
• currant
• damson
• date
• elderberry
• fig
• gooseberry
• grape
• grapefruit
• guava
• kiwi fruit
• kumquat
• lemon
• lime
• loganberry
• lychee
• mandarin
• mango
• medlar
• melon
• mulberry
• musk melon
• olive
• orange
• papaya
• passion fruit
• pawpaw
• peach
• pear
• persimmon
• plum
• pineapple
• pomegranate
• raspberry
• redcurrant
• satsuma
• soursop
• strawberry
• tamarind
• tangelo
• tangerine
• tomato
• ugli fruit
• watermelon

Derived terms

• bear fruit
• stone fruit
• fruitarian
• fruit tree
• fruitless

See also

• frugivore
• frugivorous
• Wikipedia article on fruit
• List of fruits in Wikipedia

Dutch

Noun

fruit n (invariable)

1. (botany) fruit (produced by trees or bushes, or any sweet vegetable)

Synonyms

• vrucht

French

Noun

fruit m (plural fruits)

1. (botany) fruit