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fruit
/fɹuːt/
When talking about food, "fruit" is usually an uncountable noun (e.g., "I eat a lot of fruit"). However, you can use "fruits" when referring to different types or species of fruit (e.g., "The tropical fruits of Brazil"). In the sense of 'results' or 'rewards', the word is almost always used in the plural form: "the fruits of one's labor." As a verb, it is less common than as a noun. When using it to mean producing a result, it often sounds more formal or literary.
💬Casual Conversation
Grab some fruit from the store. Your mom's on a health kick.
hard pass. i'm mid-game and literally can't move.
Meanings
The seed-bearing part of a plant, typically fleshy and sweet, that develops from the ovary after flowering.
"She sliced a fresh piece of fruit for breakfast."
The result or reward of work, effort, or a particular process.
"The success of the project was the fruit of months of hard labor."
Examples
Pass me some fruit before we leave, please.
I just love the smell of fresh fruit in summer.
Look, this is finally the fruit of my sleepless nights!
Wait, did you actually put fruit in the savory salad?
I hope this investment will fruit for us very soon.
Do these lemon trees actually fruit in this climate?
I'm just looking for some organic fruit for the kids.
Stop eating that fruit over my new white rug!
Collocations & Compounds
forbidden fruit
Something that is desired specifically because it is prohibited.
fruit of one's labor
The reward or result achieved through hard work.
tropical fruit
Fruit grown in hot, humid regions near the equator.
fruit salad
A mixture of various types of sliced fruit.
bear fruit
To yield positive results or produce a successful outcome.
Idioms & Sayings
the fruit of one's labor
The positive results or rewards achieved through hard work.
forbidden fruit
Something that is desired specifically because it is prohibited.
bear fruit
To yield a positive result or produce the intended outcome.
low-hanging fruit
Tasks or goals that are easily achievable without much effort.
Cultural Context
In the heart of the Garden of Eden narrative, we encounter one of the most influential symbols in human history: the forbidden fruit. While popular culture and Renaissance art have almost universally depicted this fruit as an apple, a closer look at the biblical text reveals that the specific type of fruit is never actually named. It is simply referred to as 'the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil.'
The common association with the apple likely stems from a clever linguistic pun in Latin. The word for 'evil' is 'malum,' while the word for 'apple' is also 'mālum.' Early translators and artists seized upon this phonetic coincidence, transforming a generic botanical object into a specific, iconic piece of fruit that would come to symbolize temptation, curiosity, and the fall of man.
However, if we venture beyond Western traditions, other interpretations emerge. In some Jewish midrashic traditions, the forbidden fruit was suggested to be a fig, a grape, or even a pomegranate—fruits far more common to the Levant than the domesticated apples we know today. The choice of fruit often reflects the cultural landscape of the interpreter; it is a mirror held up to the era's own agricultural reality.
Beyond the theology, there is a profound psychological layer to this story. The act of eating the fruit represents the transition from innocence to consciousness. It is the moment humanity accepts the burden of moral agency and the pain of self-awareness. In this sense, the fruit isn't just a piece of produce; it is a catalyst for the human condition. We are defined by our desire to reach for that which is forbidden, proving that the drive for knowledge—even when it comes with a heavy price—is perhaps the most fundamental trait of our species.
Etymology
Derived from Old English 'frūht', originating from Proto-Germanic 'fruhhtum', which is rooted in the Proto-Indo-European root 'bhrug-' meaning 'to swell'. It entered Middle English as 'fruit' under the influence of the Old French 'fruit', which descends from the Latin 'fructus', meaning 'enjoyment, profit, or the product of a tree'.