Citations:apple

English citations of apple

			1678		1818
ME «	15th c.	16th c.	17th c.	18th c.	19th c.	20th c.	21st c.

A common, firm, round fruit produced by a tree of the genus Malus.
1. The fruit of the tree Malus domestica, chiefly with a green, red, or yellow skin, cultivated in temperate climates for cidermaking, cooking, and eating. [from 9th c.]
  - 1678, John Bunyan, The Pilgrim’s Progress from This World, to That which is to Come: […], London: […] Nath[aniel] Ponder […], →OCLC:
    VVhat of my droſs thou findeſt there, be bold To throvv avvay, but yet preserve the gold; VVhat if my gold be vvrapped up in ore?—None throvvs avvay the apple for the core.
2. Often with a qualifying word: any fruit or vegetable, or any other thing (such as a cone or gall) produced by a plant, especially if from a tree and similar to the fruit of Malus domestica (sense 1.1).
  - 1800, John Tuke, General View of the Agriculture of the North Riding of Yorkshire, page 150:
    It is generally thought, that the curled topped potatoe proceeds from a neglect of raising fresh sorts from the apple or [potato-]seed.
    Unable to verify.
3. (Christianity) According to postbiblical Christian tradition, the fruit of the tree of knowledge which was eaten by Adam and Eve despite God commanding them not to do so; the forbidden fruit.
  - 1816 June – 1817 April/May (date written), [Mary Shelley], chapter V, in Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus. […], volume III, London: […] [Macdonald and Son] for Lackington, Hughes, Harding, Mavor, & Jones, published 1 January 1818, →OCLC, page 102:
    I read and re-read her letter, and some softened feelings stole into my heart, and dared to whisper paradisiacal dreams of love and joy; but the apple was already eaten, and the angel's arm bared to drive me from all hope.

Requires verification

[A type of MDMA, especially if in a red capsule]
- 1997, Nick Barlay, Curvy Lovebox, page 187:
  Wha' y'after? Special K. Es […] Apples. Got some killer Doves.
- 2000, Dave Courtney, Raving Lunacy, page 72:
  […] all that happened when the adverts came out saying that Apple Es killed Leah Betts was that you couldn't buy one for love nor money cos every raver wanted one. There was a lot of shit pills out there and those ads were just saying to people that Apples were pukka.