crab apple

noun

Definition of crab apple

: any of various wild or cultivated trees (genus Malus) that are cultivars or relatives of the cultivated apple and that produce small sour fruit; also : the fruit

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Recent Examples of crab apple from the Web

Apple scab Usually known for picturesque, pink flowers, crab apple trees may already have been infected with apple scab, a fungal disease that infects the leaves.

— vikki ortiz, chicagotribune.com, "Thanks to rainy spring, 4 tree diseases expected across Chicagoland this summer," 23 May 2018
Nearby was a test garden filled with crab apple trees and native plants like the Pulsatilla and the Baptisia.

— sydney ember, New York Times, "A Heartland Company Leads the Media Race," 11 Mar. 2018
Such varieties as Kingston Black, Yarlington Mill, Dabinett, Somerset Redstreak and even foraged wild crab apples were discussed with the same reverence as pinot noir or nebbiolo.

— jason wilson, chicagotribune.com, "Cidermakers develop a strategy: Define and conquer," 7 Feb. 2018
According to a press release, researchers from the United States and China sequenced the genomes of 117 apples, including domestic varieties as well as crab apples and wild apples from 24 different species.

— jason daley, Smithsonian, "How the Silk Road Created the Modern Apple," 21 Aug. 2017
This autumn, cardinals and blue jays will snatch orange crab apples from twisted branches.

— bart ziegler, WSJ, "Save the Songbirds: Plant These Shrubs and Bushes," 13 Sep. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'crab apple.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.