n. (Bot.) 1. The fruit of a tree (Artocarpus incisa) found in the islands of the Pacific, esp. the South Sea islands. It is of a roundish form, from four to six or seven inches in diameter, and, when baked, somewhat resembles bread, and is eaten as food, whence the name. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Bot.) The tree itself, which is one of considerable size, with large, lobed leaves. Cloth is made from the bark, and the timber is used for many purposes. Called also breadfruit tree and bread tree. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Bot.) A plant of Sierra Leone which yields a wholesome, creamy juice. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OE. fruit, frut, F. fruit, from L. fructus enjoyment, product, fruit, from frui, p. p. fructus, to enjoy; akin to E. brook, v. t. See Brook, v. t., and cf. Fructify, Frugal. ] 1. Whatever is produced for the nourishment or enjoyment of man or animals by the processes of vegetable growth, as corn, grass, cotton, flax, etc.; -- commonly used in the plural. [ 1913 Webster ]

Six years thou shalt sow thy land, and shalt gather in the
fruits thereof. Ex. xxiii. 10. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Hort.) The pulpy, edible seed vessels of certain plants, especially those grown on branches above ground, as apples, oranges, grapes, melons, berries, etc. See 3. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Bot.) The ripened ovary of a flowering plant, with its contents and whatever parts are consolidated with it. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ Fruits are classified as fleshy, drupaceous, and dry. Fleshy fruits include berries, gourds, and melons, orangelike fruits and pomes; drupaceous fruits are stony within and fleshy without, as peaches, plums, and cherries; and dry fruits are further divided into achenes, follicles, legumes, capsules, nuts, and several other kinds. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. (Bot.) The spore cases or conceptacles of flowerless plants, as of ferns, mosses, algae, etc., with the spores contained in them. [ 1913 Webster ]

6. The produce of animals; offspring; young; as, the fruit of the womb, of the loins, of the body. [ 1913 Webster ]

King Edward's fruit, true heir to the English crown. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

6. That which is produced; the effect or consequence of any action; advantageous or desirable product or result; disadvantageous or evil consequence or effect; as, the fruits of labor, of self-denial, of intemperance. [ 1913 Webster ]

The fruit of rashness. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

What I obtained was the fruit of no bargain. Burke. [ 1913 Webster ]

They shall eat the fruit of their doings. Is. iii 10. [ 1913 Webster ]

The fruits of this education became visible. Macaulay. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ Fruit is frequently used adjectively, signifying of, for, or pertaining to a fruit or fruits; as, fruit bud; fruit frame; fruit jar; fruit knife; fruit loft; fruit show; fruit stall; fruit tree; etc. [ 1913 Webster ]

Fruit bat (Zool.), one of the Frugivora; -- called also fruit-eating bat. --
Fruit bud (Bot.), a bud that produces fruit; -- in most oplants the same as the power bud.
Fruit dot (Bot.), a collection of fruit cases, as in ferns. See Sorus. --
Fruit fly (Zool.), a small dipterous insect of the genus Drosophila, which lives in fruit, in the larval state. There are seveal species, some of which are very damaging to fruit crops. One species, Drosophila melanogaster, has been intensively studied as a model species for genetic reserach. --
Fruit jar, a jar for holding preserved fruit, usually made of glass or earthenware. --
Fruit pigeon (Zool.), one of numerous species of pigeons of the family Carpophagidæ, inhabiting India, Australia, and the Pacific Islands. They feed largely upon fruit. and are noted for their beautiful colors. --
Fruit sugar (Chem.), a kind of sugar occurring, naturally formed, in many ripe fruits, and in honey; levulose. The name is also, though rarely, applied to invert sugar, or to the natural mixture or dextrose and levulose resembling it, and found in fruits and honey. --
Fruit tree (Hort.), a tree cultivated for its edible fruit. --
Fruit worm (Zool.), one of numerous species of insect larvæ: which live in the interior of fruit. They are mostly small species of Lepidoptera and Diptera. --
Small fruits (Hort.), currants, raspberries, strawberries, etc. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. To bear fruit. Chesterfield. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F. fruitage. ] 1. Fruit, collectively; fruit, in general; fruitery. [ 1913 Webster ]

The trees . . . ambrosial fruitage bear. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Product or result of any action; effect, good or ill. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. A ship for carrying fruit. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. F. fruitier. ] One who deals in fruit; a seller of fruits. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A woman who sells fruit. [ 1913 Webster ]

n.; pl. Fruiteries [ F. fruiterie place where fruit is kept, in OF. also, fruitage. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. Fruit, taken collectively; fruitage. J. Philips. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A repository for fruit. Johnson. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A fruiteress. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Full of fruit; producing fruit abundantly; bearing results; prolific; fertile; liberal; bountiful; as, a fruitful tree, or season, or soil; a fruitful wife. -- Fruit"ful*ly, adv. -- Fruit"ful*ness, n. [ 1913 Webster ]

Be fruitful and multiply and replenish the earth. Gen. i. 28. [ 1913 Webster ]

[ Nature ] By disburdening grows
More fruitful. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

The great fruitfulness of the poet's fancy. Addison.

Syn. -- Fertile; prolific; productive; fecund; plentiful; rich; abundant; plenteous. See Fertile. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Pertaining to, or producing, fruit. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The bearing of fruit. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OF. fruition, L. fruitio, enjoyment, fr. L. frui, p. p. fruitus, to use or enjoy. See Fruit, n. ] Use or possession of anything, especially such as is accompanied with pleasure or satisfaction; pleasure derived from possession or use. “Capacity of fruition.” Rogers. “Godlike fruition.” Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

Where I may have fruition of her love. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ See Fruition. ] Enjoying; possessing. [ Obs. ] Boyle. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. 1. Lacking, or not bearing, fruit; barren; destitute of offspring; as, a fruitless tree or shrub; a fruitless marriage. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Productive of no advantage or good effect; vain; idle; useless; unprofitable; as, a fruitless attempt; a fruitless controversy. [ 1913 Webster ]

They in mutual accusation spent
The fruitless hours. Milton.

Syn. -- Useless; barren; unprofitable; abortive; ineffectual; vain; idle; profitless. See Useless.

-- Fruit"less*ly, adv. -- Fruit"lness*ness, n. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Having the odor, taste, or appearance of fruit; also, fruitful. Dickens. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. A citrus tree (Citrus paradisi) bearing large round edible fruit having a thick yellow rind and juicy somewhat acid pulp. [ wns=1 ]
Syn. -- Citrus paradisi. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

2. The large yellow fruit of the Citrus paradisi, having somewhat acid juicy pulp. It is a popular breakfast food. [ wns=2 ] [ WordNet 1.5 +PJC ]

. The shaddock. [ 1913 Webster ]

. (Bot.) A samara. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

n. A small two-winged fly (Ceratitis capitata), a native of the Mediterranean countries but now widely distributed in warm regions, which can cause great damage to citrus and other succulent fruit crops when present in large numbers. It is black and white and irregularly banded. It lays eggs in ripening oranges, peaches, and other fruits; when the eggs hatch into larvae (maggots) inside the fruit, they cause the fruit to decay and fall, and make the fruit unsaleable. It is also popularly called the medfly. The possibility of infestation by this and other crop pests has caused some states such as California, where fruit is a major export, to ban the importation of fruit from other regions. Outbreaks of infestation with the medfly have caused California to mobilize major eradication campaigns and have been the subject of political faultfinding. The eradication tactic, of releasing sterile males to break the reproductive cycle, has been used to deal with outbreaks of the medfly. [ PJC ]

a. Too fruitful. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Not producing fruit or offspring; unproductive; infertile; barren; sterile; as, an unfruitful tree or animal; unfruitful soil; an unfruitful life or effort. -- Un*fruit"ful*ly, adv. -- Un*fruit"ful*ness, n. [ 1913 Webster ]