Quince
/kwɪns/noun
A small, hard, aromatic yellow fruit related to apples and pears.
Did you know?The English word ultimately comes from Latin *cydonium malum* (“apple of Cydonia”), a name tied to the ancient city of Cydonia in Crete, so even a humble quince preserves a geographic memory from classical antiquity.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
kydṓnion mêlon
“a Cydonian apple, i.e. quince”
Latin
Latin
cydonium malum
“Cydonian apple; quince”
Late Latin
Latin
cotoneum
“quince”
Old French
Old French
cooin
“quince”
Middle English
English
quynce
“quince”
Modern English
English
quince
“the fruit of the quince tree”
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