Cortland

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A small city in central New York State, in the Finger Lakes region of the United States ; a red-skinned apple variety that is a cross between McIntosh and Ben Davis
2. A town located in upstate New York near Syracuse ; a crisp, red-skinned apple cultivar developed in New York that resists browning when sliced
3. A city in the state of New York in the northeastern United States ; a tart, juicy apple with red skin that was bred in New York and is often eaten fresh

Etymology: Cortland is an apple, and its name comes from a place, not from a word for fruit. It was bred at the agricultural experiment station in Geneva, New York, by crossing two older varieties, the McIntosh and the Ben Davis, and the new fruit was named for the town of Cortland in the same state. Naming a fruit after a town was a common practice for new American apple varieties, which were often christened for the places where growers or breeders worked. The apple's flavor and texture are its best-known traits. Its white flesh resists browning after it is cut, so it became a favorite for salads and lunchboxes. That quality is inherited from its McIntosh parent, and the name has stuck to the fruit ever since.