peach

1 of 2

noun

1
a
: a low spreading freely branching Chinese tree (Prunus persica) of the rose family that has lanceolate leaves and sessile usually pink flowers and is widely cultivated in temperate areas for its edible fruit which is a single-seeded drupe with a hard central stone, a pulpy white or yellow flesh, and a thin fuzzy skin
b
: the edible fruit of the peach
2
: a moderate yellowish pink
3
: one resembling a peach (as in sweetness, beauty, or excellence)

peach

2 of 2

verb

peached; peaching; peaches

transitive verb

: to inform against : betray

intransitive verb

: to turn informer : blab

Did you know?

If you guessed that the origin of this verb peach has something to do with a slightly fuzzy fruit, you are unfortunately incorrect. The fruit peach is an unrelated word that traces back to the Latin phrase malum persicum, literally meaning "Persian fruit." The verb blossomed from Middle English apechen ("to accuse"), itself an offspring of the Anglo-French verbs apecher and empecher, both meaning "to ensnare." Empecher is also an ancestor of the English verb impeach, meaning "to bring an accusation against." Both of these English verbs can be traced back to Latin impedicare, meaning "to shackle the feet," and that word is itself rooted in ped-, pes, meaning "foot."

Examples of peach in a Sentence

Noun fondly remembers his old Studebaker as being a peach of a car
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Under current law, a movie or TV show simply has to display a title card with the Georgia peach logo to claim the extra 10%. Gene Maddaus, Variety, 21 Mar. 2024 Valle Central, Chile, $15 Soft and round, with flavors of peach and a hint of sweetness on the finish, this is basic, good chardonnay. Dave McIntyre, Washington Post, 21 Mar. 2024 Get The Recipe 28 of 35 Buttermilk-Peach Popsicles Make the most of fresh peaches with this five-ingredient popsicle recipe. Southern Living Editors, Southern Living, 20 Mar. 2024 Kid-friendly features There are tons of on-site activities to have fun with the whole family, from yoga and volleyball on the peach to pool games. Karen Cicero, Parents, 8 Mar. 2024 Brisk and precise fruity aromas that include white peaches and red cherries and some chocolate cookies. Tom Mullen, Forbes, 25 Feb. 2024 Choices for the big plates are Deep Fried Turkey Breast with cranberry sauce and gravy ($40), gluten-free Slow Roasted Pork Shoulder with bourbon peach glaze ($38) and gluten-free Rosemary & Mustard Crusted Rib Roast with red wine au jus and horseradish sauce ($56). Heidi Finley, Charlotte Observer, 31 Jan. 2024 The heroic panda, Po (Jack Black), plops under a blossoming peach tree, relaxes his paws and attempts to concentrate on a mantra. Amy Nicholson, Washington Post, 6 Mar. 2024 Justin Bieber gets his peaches out in Georgia and his wax figures down in Hollywood. Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 1 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'peach.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English peche, from Anglo-French pesche, peche (the fruit), from Late Latin persica, from Latin (malum) persicum, literally, Persian fruit

Verb

Middle English pechen, short for apechen to accuse, from Anglo-French apecher, empecher to ensnare — more at impeach

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1560, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of peach was in the 14th century

Podcast

Dictionary Entries Near peach

Cite this Entry

“Peach.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/peach. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

peach

noun
ˈpēch
1
: a sweet juicy fruit with white or yellow flesh, a thin fuzzy skin, and a single seed enclosed in a rough stony covering that is produced by a low spreading Chinese tree related to the plums and cherries and grown in most temperate areas
also : this tree
2
: a moderate yellowish pink

More from Merriam-Webster on peach

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!