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

In one of her boldest moves yet, Stella McCartney has collaborated with someone who lives in a pineapple under the sea: SpongeBob SquarePants. —Violet Goldstone, WWD, 20 Mar. 2025

Their most popular flavors were blueberry sage, lime ginger, raspberry rose and pineapple turmeric. —Greta Cross, USA TODAY, 17 Mar. 2025

Get The Recipe This classic cake combines both pineapple and banana into one decadent treat that's just the right amount of sweet. —Jenna Sims, Southern Living, 13 Mar. 2025

Instead, Justin dumped Kevin on the side of the road like a day-old pineapple pizza… which is only marginally worse than an already terrible-tasting, completely fresh pineapple pizza. —Dalton Ross, EW.com, 6 Mar. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1624, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing pineapple

• pineapple guava
• pineapple sage

Rhymes for pineapple

• appal
• apple
• chapel
• dapple
• grapple

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