Definition
a round fruit that has a hard skin and many thick seeds inside
View the full definition in the Macmillan Dictionary
Origin and usage
The noun pomegranate derives from two Latin words, pomum meaning ‘apple’, and granatum meaning ‘seeded’. It has been used in English since the 14th century.
Examples
The Jewish new year celebration Rosh Hashanah starts today and runs through the weekend. There are many traditions associated with the festival, including the blowing of a horn called a shofar and the eating of certain foods. These include the pomegranate, a beautiful fruit with numerous symbolic meanings in Judaism and in many different cultures. In the northern hemisphere the pomegranate is an autumn and winter fruit, bringing a welcome splash of brilliant red during the dark months. Pomegranates and their juice are used in many cuisines and the fruit is said to have health benefits, although these have not been conclusively demonstrated. Rosh Hashanah is an entry in the Macmillan Dictionary Open Dictionary, submitted in 2018. You can submit any words and expressions that are not in the dictionary here.
Quotations
“Just imagine,” she said. “If every seed grew, there’d be no room in the world for anything but pomegranate trees.”
(David Almond, Skellig)
“Sometimes I feel like a wizard in Toytown, transforming a bunch of carrots into pomegranates.”
(Eduardo Paolozzi, sculptor)
Related words
apple, date, lychee, raisin, star fruit
Browse related words in the Macmillan Thesaurus.
