Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English homepage

Date: 1100-1200
Language: Old French
Origin: Latin fructus, from frui 'to enjoy, have the use of'

fruit

1 noun
     
Related topics: Food, Plants
fruit1 S2 W2 plural fruit or fruits
1 [uncountable and countable]DF something that grows on a plant, tree, or bush, can be eaten as a food, contains seeds or a stone, and is usually sweet:
Try to eat plenty of fresh fruit.
a glass of fruit juice
a large garden with fruit trees
 ➔ dried fruit, soft fruit
2 [uncountable and countable] technicalHBP the part of a plant, bush, or tree that contains the seeds
3

the fruit(s) of something

the good results that you have from something, after you have worked very hard:
I'm looking forward to retirement and having time to enjoy the fruits of my labour (=the results of my hard work).
4

in fruit

technicalHBP trees, plants etc that are in fruit are producing their fruit
5

the fruits of the earth

literaryDN all the natural things that the earth produces, such as fruit, vegetables, or minerals

➔ bear fruit

at bear1 (9)
Definition from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
Advanced Learner's Dictionary.

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