Damson Plum
/ˈdæm.zən plʌm/noun
A small, dark-purple plum, especially the fruit of the damson tree, valued for preserves and cooking.
Did you know?The name preserves a medieval belief about the fruit’s eastern origin, linking an everyday preserve-making fruit to Damascus and long-distance botanical trade.
Etymological Timeline
Classical Antiquity
Latin
prūnum Damascēnum
“Damascus plum; a plum associated with Damascus”
Late Latin
Latin
damascēnum
“Of Damascus; used for the Damascus plum”
Middle English
English
damascene
“A plum or fruit associated with Damascus”
15th Century
English
damasyn
“Damson; a small plum, with the ending reshaped in English”
16th Century
English
damson
“The dark-purple fruit or tree known as the damson”
Modern English
English
damson plum
“A damson, explicitly identified as a type of plum”