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Glite Dictionary
Prunus armeniaca

Prunus armeniaca

8.1
A tree that loses its leaves each year and produces soft orange fruit called apricots
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : Prunus armeniaca
  • Botanists classify the apricot under the scientific name Prunus armeniaca.

Examples

  • Botanists classify the apricot under the scientific name Prunus armeniaca.

  • The Prunus armeniaca tree produces sweet apricots.

  • A specimen of Prunus armeniaca was planted in the botanical garden for research purposes.

  • The orchard was full of Prunus armeniaca trees heavy with ripe fruit.

  • Many gardeners choose to plant Prunus armeniaca for its delicious fruit.

  • The orchard was full of Prunus armeniaca trees heavy with ripe fruit.

  • Many gardeners choose to plant Prunus armeniaca for its delicious fruit.

Synonyms

apricot tree
vsPrunus armeniaca
1 2.7

A tree that grows small sweet orange fruit and white spring blossoms

is focused on native temperate origin and downy fruit rather than Asian blossoms
common apricot
vsPrunus armeniaca
2.7

A small tree that makes soft yellow or pink fruits you can eat

is the scientific species name for that same plant

Surface Forms

Prunus armeniaca singular
Prunus armeniacas plural

Morphology

Prunus + armeniaca

Knowing 'Prunus' as a genus of trees and shrubs would allow a B1 learner to infer this is a plant or tree, but the specific epithet 'armeniaca' is Latin/unknown and does not transparently convey 'apricot' to learners. Scientific binomials are partially informative (indicating taxonomic category) but require specialist or Latin knowledge to yield the full meaning, so the expression is only partially transparent.

Etymology

Prunus armeniaca is a Latin scientific name that tells a small story. Prunus means a plum or other fruit with a hard seed, and armeniaca means 'from Armenia' because people long ago thought the apricot came from there. That's why Prunus armeniaca today is the formal name for the tree that gives the 'apricot'.