Medlar

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈmɛdlə/

Definitions

1. An uncommon tree that produces a distinctive fruit known for its unique flavor when overripe, valued both for its edible use and ornamental appeal
2. A rare species of tree that bears fruit which is traditionally enjoyed when it has softened, admired for both its taste and ornamental flowers
3. A tree species bearing distinctive fruits that become edible after softening and are appreciated for their unusual taste and ornamental blossoms

Etymology: The medlar is a fruit that most people eat only once it has gone soft and brown, and its name has a surprising pedigree. It descends from the Ancient Greek "méspilon", which passed into Latin as "mespilum" and then into Old French as "medle" and "mesdle", meaning the fruit itself. English borrowed the word in Middle English as "medler" and "medeler", and it has been the standard name ever since. Before the medlar's name settled, English speakers had a blunter word for it. Old English called the tree "openærs", literally "open-arse", a name drawn from the fruit's anatomy: its open calyx resembles the part of the body it was named after. Medieval English eventually dropped that name in favour of the Romance-derived term, though the older word survives as a curious footnote to the fruit's history.