apricot
UK[ˈeɪprɪkɒt]US[ˈæprɪkɑːt]
n
a small, soft, round fruit with yellowish-orange flesh and a large seed inside
n
a yellowish-orange color similar to that of the fruit
Etymology
the word 'apricot' began its journey in latin as 'praecox', meaning 'early-ripening'. this term was applied to the fruit because it matures earlier in the summer than its peach relatives. through a series of linguistic borrowings and adaptations—first into greek as 'praikókion', then into arabic as 'al-barqūq', and later into spanish and portuguese—the word was transformed. the initial 'a-' in the english form likely arose from a mistaken separation of the arabic definite article 'al-'. the modern english spelling was solidified in the 16th century, preserving the name of a fruit prized for its precocious harvest.
Analysis
this word is a loanword whose form has been adapted through multiple languages, making a meaningful segmentation into productive English morphemes impractical.
Examples
she packed a fresh apricot in her lunch.
the walls were painted a warm shade of apricot.
apricot jam is a delightful spread for morning toast.