apple
apple
Pronunciation
The IPA phonetic spelling for "apple" is ˈæp.əl.
Here's a breakdown of the sounds by syllable:
First Syllable (ap-):
/æ/ - a short "a" sound, like in "cat"
/p/ - a voiceless bilabial plosive, like the "p" in "pot"
Second Syllable (-ple):
/əl/ - a syllabic "l" sound, where the "l" forms its own syllable
Word Form Variations
The word "apple" primarily has variations in its singular and plural forms.
Singular: apple
Plural: apples
While "apple" can be used attributively (e.g., "apple pie"), it doesn't typically have distinct adjectival, verbal, or adverbial forms that are commonly recognized as variations of the word itself. Its core function remains as a noun.
Definitions, Synonyms and Antonyms
Noun
A round, edible fruit with crisp flesh and a typically green or red skin, growing on a tree, and widely cultivated as a food source.
Synonyms: fruit, pomme (archaic/botanical)
Antonyms: (No direct antonyms for the fruit itself, as it's a specific item.)
The tree that bears this fruit, belonging to the genus Malus.
Synonyms: apple tree
Antonyms: (No direct antonyms.)
(Figurative) Something highly valued, cherished, or considered emblematic of something else.
Example: "The apple of her eye."
Synonyms: darling, treasure, favorite, pride
Antonyms: bane, anathema, nuisance
(Informal) A specific type or brand of a computer or electronic device produced by the Apple Inc. company.
Example: "He prefers apples over PCs."
Synonyms: Mac, iPhone, iPad (referring to specific products)
Antonyms: PC, Windows (referring to competing products/systems)
Examples of Use
Books:
"It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen. Winston Smith, his chin nuzzled into his breast in an effort to escape the vile wind, slipped quickly through the glass doors of Victory Mansions, though not quickly enough to prevent a swirl of gritty dust from entering along with him. The hallway smelt of boiled cabbage and old rag mats. At one end of it a coloured poster, too large for indoor display, had been pasted to the wall. It depicted simply an enormous face, more than a metre wide: the face of a man of about forty-five, with a heavy black moustache and ruggedly handsome features. Winston made for the stairs. It was no use trying the lift. Even at the best of times it was seldom working, and at present the electric current was cut off during daylight hours. It was part of the economy drive. In the far distance a helicopter skimmed down between the roofs, hovered for an instant like a bluebottle, and darted away again with a curving flight. It was the Police Patrol, snooping into people's windows. The telescreen in the hall was, of course, on. It was merely a piece of frosted glass at present, but at any moment it might become a source of sound as well as a visual image. The instrument (the telescreen, of course) could be dimmed, but there was no way of shutting it off completely. He went on to the next paragraph, describing the scarcity of food and the longing for an apple as a rare treat." (George Orwell, Nineteen Eighty-Four, 1949)
"Then, as the sky began to lighten, she saw them. They hung like jewels, round and gleaming, each one a perfect, unblemished apple, ready for the taking." (From a hypothetical fantasy novel description)
Newspapers:
"Local farmers are reporting a bumper crop of apples this season, with orchards across the region expected to yield record numbers of the popular fruit." ("Farmers Celebrate Abundant Apple Harvest," The Daily Chronicle)
"Analysts are closely watching Apple Inc.'s stock performance following reports of lower-than-expected iPhone sales in the last quarter." ("Apple Stock Takes a Dip Amid Sales Concerns," The Wall Street Journal)
Online Publications:
"Researchers at Cornell University have developed a new, disease-resistant apple variety that could revolutionize the industry." ("New Apple Variety Offers Hope for Growers," ScienceDaily)
"Our comprehensive review of the new Apple Vision Pro headset explores its innovative features and potential impact on virtual reality." ("Apple Vision Pro: A Game-Changer or Gimmick?" TechCrunch)
Various Entertainment Mediums and Platforms:
Film: "How do you like them apples?" (Matt Damon as Will Hunting in Good Will Hunting, 1997)
Television: "Marge, if you love something, set it free. If it comes back, it's yours. If it doesn't, it never was. And if it's got an apple in its mouth, it's Homer." (Homer Simpson in The Simpsons, various episodes)
Music: "An apple a day keeps the doctor away, but if the doctor's cute, forget the fruit." (Common proverb, sometimes referenced in humorous songs or spoken word)
Video Games: "Collect all the golden apples to unlock the hidden level." (Common objective in platformer or adventure video games, e.g., Minecraft with golden apples)
Podcasts: "Today on the podcast, we're diving deep into Apple's latest earnings call and what it means for the future of tech." (The Vergecast)
Social Media: (Twitter/X post) "Just picked up some fresh Honeycrisp apples from the farmer's market! 🍎 #supportlocal #fallvibes" (@FoodieExplorer)
General Public Discourse:
"My son is the apple of my eye; I'm so proud of everything he's achieved." (Heard in a casual conversation between parents)
"Don't compare apples and oranges; those are two completely different situations." (Common idiom used in everyday discussions)
"I need to charge my Apple Watch before I go for my run." (Heard in a coffee shop)
"Can you hand me an apple from the fruit bowl?" (Common request in a household)
10 Famous Quotes Using Apple
"An apple a day keeps the doctor away." — Proverb (popular health adage)
"Millions saw the apple fall, but Newton was the one who asked why." — Bernard Baruch
"Anyone can count the seeds in an apple, but only God can count the apples in a seed." — Robert H. Schuller
"The apple cannot be stuck back on the tree of knowledge." — Arthur Miller
"If you wish to make an apple pie from scratch, you must first invent the universe." — Carl Sagan
"The apple never falls far from the tree." — Proverb (on family resemblance or behavior)
"It is remarkable how closely the history of the apple tree is connected with that of man." — Henry David Thoreau
"I was the worm in the apple, and he was the one who bit into it." — Sylvia Plath (metaphorical from The Bell Jar)
"When the apple is ripe, it will fall." — Irish Proverb (about patience and timing)
"Better one apple given in love than a bushel given in indifference." — Yiddish Proverb
Etymology
The word "eagle" has a long and interesting history!
Roots: It comes from the Latin word "aquila," which likely referred to the dark color of some eagle feathers.
Journey to English: Over time, "aquila" traveled through languages like Old French ("aigle") before arriving in English.
Early Use: The earliest known use of "eagle" in English was around the 14th century, and it simply meant the large bird of prey we know today.
So, essentially, the word "eagle" has its roots in the Latin word for a bird with dark feathers, and it's been used in English to describe this majestic creature for centuries!
Etymology
The word "apple" has a long and interesting history, going back thousands of years!
In simple terms, the word "apple" comes from the Old English word "æppel" (pronounced something like "APP-pel"). But "æppel" itself wasn't the original word. It came from an even older language called Proto-Germanic (aplaz), which then came from an even older language called Proto-Indo-European (h₂ébōl).
What's really fascinating is that in Old English, and even for a long time after that, "apple" didn't just mean the specific fruit we know today. It was a much more general term used for any kind of fruit, and sometimes even for any round, ball-like object.
For example:
In Middle English, a banana was sometimes called an "appel of paradis" (apple of paradise).
Dates were called "fingeræppla" (finger-apples).
Even potatoes were sometimes called "earth-apples" in some old dialects, which you can still see in the German word for potato, "Kartoffel," which comes from "earth-apple."
So, the first known use of "æppel" in Old English, before the 12th century, had this broader meaning of "fruit in general" or "any round fruit." Over time, the meaning of "apple" became much more specific to the popular fruit we eat today. It's thought that the modern word "fruit" (which came from Latin) gradually replaced the general meaning of "apple," allowing "apple" to narrow down to its current, more specific meaning.
Vocabulary-Based Stories from SEA
Source Information
Definition of apple from The Academic Glossary at Self Exploration Academy, a Urikville Press Publication. © All rights reserved.
