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kumquat - 4 dictionary results

kum⋅quat

[kuhm-kwot]
–noun
1. a small, round or oblong citrus fruit having a sweet rind and acid pulp, used chiefly for preserves.
2. any of several citrus shrubs of the genus Fortunella, native to China, that bear this fruit.
Also, cumquat.


Origin:
1865–70; < dial. Chin (Guangdong) gāmgwāt gold citrus fruit, akin to Chin jīnjù
kum·quat also cum·quat   (kŭm'kwŏt')   
n.  
  1. Any of several trees or shrubs of the genus Fortunella, having small, edible, orangelike fruit.
  2. The fruit of these plants, having an acid pulp and a thin, edible rind. It is the smallest of the citrus fruits.

[Chinese (Cantonese) kamkwat, equivalent to Chinese (Mandarin) xīn, gold + Chinese (Mandarin) , orange, tangerine.]

Kumquat

Kum"quat\, n. [Chin. kin keu.] (Bot.) A small tree of the genus Citrus (C. Japonica) growing in China and Japan; also, its small acid, orange-colored fruit used for preserves.

kumquat 
1699, from Chinese (Cantonese) kamkwat, from kam "golden" + kwat "orange." Cantonese pronunciation of Chinese kin-ku.
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