Costard

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A variety of apple characterized by its large, rounded shape and sweet flavor
2. A historical type of fruit recognized for its significant size and pleasant taste
3. A cultivar of apple known for its sizable round fruit and sweet taste

Etymology: The apple's name comes from a rib. In Middle English, "costard" was a term for a large, ribbed apple, probably from Old French "coste," meaning "rib," with the suffix "-ard" added. The name refers to the fruit's ribbed appearance, the furrows running from stalk to base that make a big apple look like it has been pressed into segments. Because the word was a general name for large apples before it became a specific term, it sometimes appears in old English writing simply as a kind of fruit rather than a particular variety. Over time it narrowed to the sizeable, round, sweet-tasting cultivar that the modern definition describes.

Synonyms: apple, fruit