NYT Dictionary

FRUIT

/fɹut/
NounVerbFROOTGrade 5

Accepted in official NYT Spelling Bee puzzle years: 2019, 2022, 2024

Meaning

A product of fertilization in a plant, specifically

Etymology

Origin: Old English

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *bʰrewHg- Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *bʰruHgyéti Proto-Italic *frūgjōr Proto-Italic *frūjōr Latin fruor Proto-Indo-European *-tus Proto-Italic *-tus Latin -tus Latin frūctus Old French fruitbor. Middle English fruyt English fruit From Middle English fruyt, frut (“fruits and vegetables”), from Old French fruit (“produce, fruits and vegetables”), from Latin fruitus (“enjoyment, proceeds, profits, produce, income”), frūctus and frūx (“crop, produce, fruit”) (compare Latin fruor (“have the benefit of, to use, to enjoy”)). Cognate with English brook (“to bear, tolerate”) and German brauchen (“to need”). Partially displaced native Old English wæstm, ofett and æppel (whence modern ovest and apple). Compare Dutch vrucht, German Frucht, Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian Nynorsk, and Swedish frukt, Danish frugt. In the derogatory senses of “crazy person” and “homosexual or effeminate man”, possibly a shortening of fruitcake, or of independent origin, compare Fruit (slang).

Synonyms & Antonyms

Synonyms

batty boybatty manbotterbumboybum chumbumderbummerbutt riderchi chi manconfirmed bachelor

NYT Puzzle Appearances

Accepted in 1 recorded puzzle:

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