apple definition

<programming language>

A revision of APL for the Illiac IV.

1. The fleshy pome or fruit of a rosaceous tree (Pyrus malus) cultivated in numberless varieties in the temperate zones.

The European crab apple is supposed to be the original kind, from which all others have sprung.

2. <botany> Any tree genus Pyrus which has the stalk sunken into the base of the fruit; an apple tree.

3. Any fruit or other vegetable production resembling, or supposed to resemble, the apple; as, apple of love, or love apple (a tomato), balsam apple, egg apple, oak apple.

4. Anything round like an apple; as, an apple of gold.

Apple is used either adjectively or in combination; as, apple paper or apple-paper, apple-shaped, apple blossom, apple dumpling, apple pudding. Apple blight, an aphid which injures apple trees. See Blight, Apple borer, the larva of a small moth (Carpocapsa pomonella) which burrows in the interior of apples. See Codling moth. Dead Sea Apple. Apples of Sodom. Also Fig. "To seek the Dead Sea apples of politics." . A kind of gallnut coming from Arabia. See Gallnut.

Origin: OE. Appel, eppel, AS. Aeppel, aepl; akin to Fries. & D. Appel, OHG, aphul, aphol, G. Apfel, Icel. Epli, Sw. Aple, Dan. Aeble, Gael. Ubhall, W. Afal, Arm. Aval, Lith. Oblys, Russ. Iabloko; of unknown origin.