Maypop

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A climbing vine known for its large, lobed leaves and edible, yellowish fruit; a common name for a type of passionflower that produces a pulpy, sweet-tart fruit often used in culinary dishes; a plant species valued both for its ornamental flowers and its fruit's distinctive flavor
2. A vigorous trailing plant characterized by tendrils and showy flowers that yield an edible, round fruit with a unique taste; a plant in the passionflower family known for its sprawling growth habit and fruit often utilized in desserts and drinks; a wild vine recognized for its ornamental appeal and the production of fruit resembling a soft, bursting pod
3. An extensive vine with distinctive foliage that bears fruit with a soft, jelly-like interior enjoyed for its sweetness; a botanical species often cultivated for its attractive blossoms and flavorful fruit often called a passion fruit variant; a fast-growing climber that produces a notable fruit valued both for its flavor and decorative floral display

Etymology: The most common explanation for "maypop" is that the plant's flowers tend to appear in May, but the name's origin remains genuinely uncertain. Another proposal holds that it imitates the popping sound made when someone steps on a ripe, dropped fruit, though that account is shaky. A third, better supported in the record, traces it to "maracock," the name of a similar flower, which the English-speaking settlers of North America may have altered, perhaps under the influence of "macock," a related word for the fruit. Each theory has its champions, and none has been settled. The plant itself is a passionflower native to the southeastern United States, and its fruit is sweet-tart and pulpy, traits that appear in the many local names the plant has picked up over the centuries.

Synonyms: passionflower, passiflora, passionfruit