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May apple

 - 2 dictionary results

May apple

–noun
1. an American plant, Podophyllum peltatum, of the barberry family, bearing an edible, yellowish, egg-shaped fruit.
2. the fruit itself.
Also, Mayapple.


Origin:
1725–35, Americanism
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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May apple  
n.   In both senses also called mandrake.
  1. A rhizomatous plant (Podophyllum peltatum) of eastern North America, having a single, nodding white flower and oval yellow fruit. Although the pulp of the ripe fruit is edible, the roots, leaves, and seeds of the plant are poisonous.

  2. The fruit of this plant.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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