hedge apple: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
LowRegional, informal, agricultural
Quick answer
What does “hedge apple” mean?
A round, green, bumpy, inedible fruit from the osage orange tree, often used as a folk remedy to repel insects.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A round, green, bumpy, inedible fruit from the osage orange tree, often used as a folk remedy to repel insects.
Can refer to the osage orange tree itself, especially when used to form a hedge or barrier. Also used in some regions as a term for a horse apple or monkey ball.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
The term 'hedge apple' is almost exclusively American and regional within the US. In British English, this fruit and tree are largely unknown. A Brit encountering the fruit might call it a 'green, bumpy fruit' or use a description.
Connotations
In American usage, it carries connotations of rural life, old wives' tales, farming, and natural pest control. It has a nostalgic, rustic feel.
Frequency
Very low frequency in British English (near zero). Low and regional in American English, recognized primarily in the Midwest, South, and Plains states.
Grammar
How to Use “hedge apple” in a Sentence
People put hedge apples in basements.The hedge apple fell from the tree.They are also called horse apples.Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “hedge apple” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The concept of 'hedge appling' does not exist.
American English
- We need to hedge-apple the cellar to keep the spiders out. (Very rare, non-standard verbing)
adjective
British English
- A hedge-apple tree is not a recognised concept.
American English
- The hedge-apple tree at the edge of the field is very old.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Not used.
Academic
Rare; might appear in botanical or agricultural history contexts as a folk name for Maclura pomifera.
Everyday
Used in conversation in specific rural American regions, often in the context of home remedies or describing trees/falling fruit.
Technical
Not used; the botanical name 'osage orange' or 'Maclura pomifera' is preferred.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “hedge apple”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “hedge apple”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “hedge apple”
- Calling it an edible fruit.
- Using the term outside of its regional American context without explanation.
- Capitalising it as a proper noun (it is not).
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, hedge apples are not edible for humans. The flesh is bitter and can cause stomach upset. Squirrels may sometimes eat the seeds.
Scientific studies have not conclusively proven that hedge apples are an effective insect repellent. Their use for this purpose is considered a folk remedy or old wives' tale.
The name comes from the tree's historical use as a 'living fence' or hedge in agricultural fields, combined with the apple-like appearance of its fruit.
Yes. 'Hedge apple' is a common regional name for the fruit of the osage orange tree (Maclura pomifera). 'Osage orange' is the more standard common name.
A round, green, bumpy, inedible fruit from the osage orange tree, often used as a folk remedy to repel insects.
Hedge apple is usually regional, informal, agricultural in register.
Hedge apple: in British English it is pronounced /hɛdʒ ˈæp(ə)l/, and in American English it is pronounced /hɛdʒ ˈæpəl/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “(as) useless as a hedge apple”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a hedge made of apple trees, but instead of red apples, it grows lumpy, green, baseball-sized fruits that are not for eating.
Conceptual Metaphor
A FALSE APPLE: Something that looks like a familiar, useful object (an apple) but is completely different in nature and purpose.
Practice
Quiz
What is a 'hedge apple' primarily used for?