I. ˈfrüt noun
Usage: often attributive
Etymology: Middle English, from frut, fruit, from Latin fructus fruit, use, from frui to enjoy, have the use of — more at brook
Date: 12th century
1.
a. : a product of plant growth (as grain, vegetables, or cotton)
the fruit s of the field
b.
(1) : the usually edible reproductive body of a seed plant ; especially : one having a sweet pulp associated with the seed
the fruit of the tree
(2) : a succulent plant part (as the petioles of a rhubarb plant) used chiefly in a dessert or sweet course
c. : a dish, quantity, or diet of fruits
live on fruit
d. : a product of fertilization in a plant with its modified envelopes or appendages ; specifically : the ripened ovary of a seed plant and its contents
e. : the flavor or aroma of fresh fruit in mature wine
2. : offspring , progeny
3.
a. : the state of bearing fruit
a tree in fruit
b. : the effect or consequence of an action or operation : product , result
the fruit s of our labor
4. usually disparaging : a male homosexual
• fruit·ed ˈfrü-təd adjective
II. verb
Date: 14th century
intransitive verb
: to bear fruit
transitive verb
: to cause to bear fruit