candy-apple
UK[ˈkændi ˌæpəl]US[ˈkændi ˌæpəl]
n
A whole apple coated with a hard, bright red sugar syrup and often fixed on a stick.
n
A bright, glossy red color resembling that of a candied apple.
Morpheme Breakdown
candy
apple
candy
sweet confection
apple
fruit
Etymology
The compound 'candy-apple' is a straightforward descriptive term from American English, emerging in the early 20th century alongside the popularization of the treat at fairs and festivals. The first element, 'candy', traces back through a long trade route from Sanskrit 'khaṇḍa' (piece of sugar), entering European languages via Persian and Arabic. The second element, 'apple', is a native English word of Germanic origin, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European 'h₂ébōl'. The compound's logic is transparent: it names an apple which has been transformed by a coating of candy, with the resulting bright red color later becoming a metonym for the shade itself.
Analysis
Structure: candy (sweet confection) + apple (fruit)
candy: From English 'candy', itself from Arabic 'qand' (sugar), via Persian and Sanskrit. Functions as a noun used attributively to describe the coating.
apple: From Old English 'æppel' (fruit, apple). Functions as the noun denoting the core object being coated.
Examples
The children lined up at the county fair for a shiny candy-apple.
She painted her vintage car a vibrant candy-apple red.
The recipe for homemade candy-apples requires sugar, corn syrup, and red food coloring.