apricot
- 01 B1 Intermediate
n.a small, round, orange fruit with a large seed inside and soft skin.
n.the edible, drupaceous fruit of the tree Prunus armeniaca, characterized by its velvety skin and sweet, slightly tart flesh.
Simple“She bought a bag of fresh apricots to make a summer tart.”
In context“The recipe calls for dried apricots to be soaked in brandy overnight before being added to the festive fruitcake mixture.”
Synonymsstone fruit - 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.a pale yellowish-orange colour.
n.a light to moderate yellowish-orange hue resembling the skin of the ripened fruit.
Simple“The walls of the nursery were painted a soft apricot.”
In context“The sunset bathed the horizon in shades of apricot and lavender, creating a striking contrast against the darkening sea.”
- 03 B2 Upper Intermediate
adj.having a pale orange-yellow colour.
adj.possessing the specific pale yellowish-orange colour of the fruit.
Simple“He wore an apricot shirt that matched his summer tan.”
In context“The interior designer suggested apricot curtains to complement the warm oak flooring in the living room.”
Synonymsorange yellow - 04 C1 Advanced
n.the tree that produces apricots.
n.the deciduous tree Prunus armeniaca, widely cultivated in temperate regions for its fruit.
Simple“The apricot in the backyard finally started blooming in early spring.”
In context“Commercial apricot orchards require specific chilling hours during winter to ensure a productive harvest the following season.”
- 05 C2 Proficiency
n.a slang word for a testicle.
n.a slang term for a testicle, typically used in the plural.
Simple“He got hit right in the apricots during the football match.”
In context“The comedian made a crude joke about a painful injury to his apricots, which drew a mixed reaction from the crowd.”
Teacher's tipThis sense is highly informal and potentially vulgar; it is primarily found in British or Australian English and should be avoided in professional contexts.
Synonymsbollocknut
Alteration of apricock (with influence from French abricot), itself an alteration of abrecock (with influence from Latin apricum (“sunny place”)), from dialectal Catalan abrecoc, abricoc, variants of standard albercoc, from Arabic الْبَرْقُوق (al-barqūq, “plums”), from Byzantine Greek βερικοκκία (berikokkía, “apricot tree”), from Ancient Greek πραικόκιον (praikókion), from Late Latin (persica) praecocia (literally “(peaches) which ripen early”), (mālum) praecoquum (literally “(apple) which ripens early”). Doublet of precocious.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.