Quince

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /kwɪns/

Definitions

1. A fruit with a hard texture and yellow hue that is commonly found in Mediterranean areas and often utilized in preserves
2. This particular yellow fruit, primarily found in regions like the Mediterranean, is known for its use in jellies and cooking
3. A firm, aromatic fruit resembling a pear or apple, typically yellow when ripe and frequently used in cooking or preserves

Etymology: The fruit's name carries the name of an island. Ancient Greeks called it "mēlon Kudōnion," the "Cydonian apple," after Cydonia, a city on Crete. The Latin "mālum cotōneum" was a variant of that phrase, and the Latin term "cotōneum" was later shortened to Late Latin "cotōneum" and passed into Old French as "cooing" (modern "coing"), the fruit's name in French. English borrowed the word through Middle English forms such as "coin," "coince," and "quynce," which were variants of the same fruit name. The spelling with "qu" and the "ce" ending settled over time, so the word now looks quite unlike its Greek ancestor. The English word "quince" also shares a surprising link with a modern term: "quinceañera," the Spanish celebration of a girl's fifteenth birthday, has been clipped down to "quince" in everyday use. That usage is a separate word that happens to share the spelling, and its meaning has nothing to do with the fruit.

Synonyms: cydonia