Definition
a hard round fruit that is white inside, and has a smooth green, yellow, or red skin
View the full definition in the Macmillan Dictionary
Origin and usage
The noun apple comes from Germanic and has been used since the time of Old English.
Examples
Yesterday was National Apple Day in the UK (it is celebrated on different dates in other countries) and so it seems like a good opportunity to celebrate this often underrated fruit. Apple Day was launched in 1990 by Common Ground, a charity that campaigns on conservation and environmental issues, with the purpose of reminding people of the great diversity of apple varieties that are in danger of disappearing, along with the landscapes that produce them. The Macmillan Dictionary entry is enhanced by a beautiful photo of the fruit, while the full definition gives a lot of useful information:
a hard round fruit that is white inside and has a smooth green, yellow, or red skin, which is called peel when it has been removed. The middle part of the apple containing the seeds is called the core. Apples grow on apple trees.
In addition to the main sense, the entry has a couple of Open Dictionary senses for idiomatic expressions involving apples: apples and oranges, and an apple a day … The entry is also linked to numerous compounds and idioms; you can explore these by clicking the box on the right of the entry.
Quotations
“And walk among long dappled grass And pluck till time and times are done The silver apples of the moon, The golden apples of the sun.”
(WB Yeats)
“An apple a day keeps anyone away, if you throw it hard enough.”
(Stephen Colbert)
Related words
core, peel, pip, stalk
