pineapple

noun

pine·​ap·​ple ˈpī-ˌna-pəl 

1

a

: a tropical monocotyledonous plant (Ananas comosus of the family Bromeliaceae, the bromeliad family) that has rigid spiny-margined recurved leaves and a short stalk with a dense oblong head of small abortive flowers

b

: the large edible multiple fruit of the pineapple that consists of the sweet succulent fleshy inflorescence

2

: a hand grenade

Examples of pineapple in a Sentence

a can of chopped pineapple

Recent Examples on the Web

The mind scrolls through old baseball rivalries and pineapple pizza toppings and concedes that this must be so. —Nick Paumgarten, The New Yorker, 28 Oct. 2024

The city is touted for being incredibly safe for solo travelers and very affordable food and drink options compared to other cities on the list (there is no heartbreak that street noodles or a buttery pineapple bun can’t solve). —Kaitlyn McInnis, Forbes, 23 Oct. 2024

Also launching as part of the collaboration with Paramount is a vanilla Frosty with a pineapple mango flavored puree swirl, called a Pineapple Under the Sea Frosty. —Gabe Hauari, USA TODAY, 4 Oct. 2024

In a medium bowl stir together undrained pineapple and cheese. —Sarah Martens, Better Homes & Gardens, 26 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1624, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing pineapple

• pineapple guava
• pineapple sage

Kids Definition

pineapple

noun

pine·​ap·​ple ˈpī-ˌnap-əl 

: a tropical plant with stiff spiny sword-shaped leaves and a short flowering stalk that develops into an edible fruit with usually pale yellow sweet juicy flesh and very thick skin

also : this fruit

Etymology

Middle English pinappel "the cone of a pine"; so called because the fruit looks like the cone from a pine tree

Medical Definition

pineapple

noun

pine·​ap·​ple ˈpī-ˌnap-əl 

1

: a tropical monocotyledonous plant (Ananas comosus of the family Bromeliaceae, the pineapple family) that has rigid spiny-margined recurved leaves and a short stalk with a dense oblong head of small abortive flowers

2

: the multiple fruit of the pineapple that consists of the succulent fleshy inflorescence and whose juice is the source of the proteolytic enzyme bromelain