crabapple
UK[ˈkrabˌap(ə)l]US[ˈkræbˌæpəl]
n
A small, sour wild apple, or the tree that produces it.
n
A person who is sour-tempered or irritable.
Morpheme Breakdown
crab
apple
crab
sour/bitter
apple
fruit
Etymology
The word "crabapple" is a compound formed from "crab" and "apple." The "crab" element does not refer to the crustacean but derives from an older Germanic word for a type of wild, sour fruit tree. This sense became semantically linked to the adjective "crabbed," meaning irritable or sour, perfectly describing the fruit's sharp, astringent taste in contrast to cultivated sweet apples. Thus, a "crabapple" is literally the "sour apple," a name which later extended metaphorically to describe a person with a similarly sour disposition.
Analysis
Structure: crab (sour/bitter) + apple (fruit)
crab: From Middle English crabbe, referring to the crabapple tree. Its origin is likely in a Germanic root meaning "to scratch" or "to claw," but its use for the apple is linked to its sour, "crabbed" (irritable) taste.
apple: From Old English æppel, meaning "apple, any kind of fruit; fruit in general." From Proto-Germanic ap(a)laz, of uncertain ultimate origin.
Examples
The jelly was made from the small, tart crabapples growing in the old orchard.
He's a bit of a crabapple in the morning until he's had his coffee.
Crabapple trees are often planted for their beautiful spring blossoms rather than their fruit.