apple

/ˈæpəl/
noun★Beginner— a round fruit with red, green, or yellow skin and crisp flesh
◆ What It Really Means
A person or thing that is highly valued or cherished.
Literal Meaning
The fruit that is the apple of one's eye.
Literal Breakdown
applethe fruit+ofbelonging to+mypossessive form of 'I'+eyethe organ of sight
◇ Mental Image
The idea of something being as precious as one's own vision.
◈ When to Use
A parent might say, 'My child is the apple of my eye,' meaning they cherish their child deeply.
◉ Cultural Note
The phrase originates from the Bible and has been used for centuries to express deep affection.
informal

A round fruit with a sweet or tart flavor, typically red, green, or yellow in color, grown on apple trees.

The apple pie was made with fresh apples from the orchard.

The dessert was prepared using recently harvested apples.

💡

Apples are commonly eaten raw, cooked in pies, or used in juices.

💻Technology
informal

A company that designs and sells consumer electronics, software, and online services.

I bought a new Apple laptop for work.

I purchased a new computer from Apple Inc. for professional use.

💡

Apple Inc. is a major technology company founded in 1976.

Collocations

apple piea dessert made with apples and pastryapple orcharda farm where apples are grownapple juicea beverage made from apples

Related Phrases

the apple of my eyeidiom
someone or something cherished above all others
one bad appleidiom
a person who causes trouble in a group

💡Pro Tip

Common Usage

The word 'apple' is most commonly used to refer to the fruit, but it can also refer to the technology company Apple Inc.

⚡Gold Rule

Capitalization

When referring to the technology company, 'Apple' is capitalized. When referring to the fruit, it is lowercase.

📖Word Origin

From Old English 'æppel', related to Old Norse 'epli' and Latin 'malum'.

📝Usage Notes

The word 'apple' can refer to both the fruit and the technology company. In most contexts, it refers to the fruit unless specified otherwise.

Word Breakdown

app
a prefix meaning 'to apply' or 'to attach'
prefix
+
le
a suffix indicating a fruit or tree
suffix
English Dictionary