Variant of fruit
nounpl. fruit or fruits
- any plant product, as grain, flax, vegetables, etc.: usually used in pl.
- the edible plant structure of a mature ovary of a flowering plant, usually eaten raw: many fruits which are not sweet, as tomatoes, beans, green peppers, etc., are popularly called vegetables
- the quality of being fruity (sense ); fruitiness: said of wine
- the result, product, or consequence of any action: fruit of hard work
- ☆ Slang a male homosexual: term of contempt or derision
- Archaic the young of animals or man
- Bot. the mature ovary of a flowering plant, together with its contents, and any closely connected parts, as the whole peach, pea pod, cucumber, etc.
Origin of fruitMiddle English ; from Old French ; from Classical Latin fructus, enjoyment, means of enjoyment, fruit, produce, profit ; from past participle of frui, to partake of, enjoy ; from Indo-European base an unverified form bhrūg-, fruit, to enjoy from source brook
to bear or cause to bear fruit