: a one-seeded indehiscent fruit having a hard bony endocarp, a fleshy mesocarp, and a thin exocarp that is flexible (as in the cherry) or dry and almost leathery (as in the almond)
Examples of drupe in a Sentence
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At least 60 species of birds, such as cardinals, bluebirds, catbirds, and mockingbirds, dine on the drupes of flowering dogwood (Cornus florida).
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Luke Miller, Better Homes & Gardens, 11 July 2025
What is stone fruit? Stone fruits, which are also called drupes, are fruits with edible flesh on the outside and a stone, often referred to as the pit, that protects a seed inside, according to University of Florida's Horticultural Sciences Department.
—Hannah Yasharoff, USA Today, 10 June 2025
They are considered drupes, fruits with juicy outer flesh and a single pit inside, like peaches or olives.
—Lauren Panoff, Mph, Rd, Verywell Health, 9 Jan. 2025
Bright red drupes often remain well into October, accenting the foliage and attracting hungry songbirds to the autumn garden.
—Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 19 Sep. 2024
Note: Sloes are a type of drupe (a stone fruit that is not a plum nor a berry) that tastes a lot like a cherry.
—Jeff Burkhart, The Mercury News, 14 Feb. 2024
Types of peppercorns Different types of peppercorns—green, black, and white—all start the same way: as a drupe, growing in clusters on a flowering vine of the plant Piper nigrum.
—Antara Sinha, Bon Appétit, 7 Jan. 2024
The tree is known for its aromatic, white-pinkish flowers pollinated by honeybees and grows fruit called a drupe which resembles a peach or plum.
—USA TODAY, 4 July 2023
Fruit is a one-fourth-inch shiny black drupe that is rarely eaten by birds.
—Paul Cappiello, The Courier-Journal, 17 Mar. 2023
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Luke Miller, Better Homes & Gardens, 11 July 2025
What is stone fruit? Stone fruits, which are also called drupes, are fruits with edible flesh on the outside and a stone, often referred to as the pit, that protects a seed inside, according to University of Florida's Horticultural Sciences Department.
—Hannah Yasharoff, USA Today, 10 June 2025
They are considered drupes, fruits with juicy outer flesh and a single pit inside, like peaches or olives.
—Lauren Panoff, Mph, Rd, Verywell Health, 9 Jan. 2025
Bright red drupes often remain well into October, accenting the foliage and attracting hungry songbirds to the autumn garden.
—Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 19 Sep. 2024
Note: Sloes are a type of drupe (a stone fruit that is not a plum nor a berry) that tastes a lot like a cherry.
—Jeff Burkhart, The Mercury News, 14 Feb. 2024
Types of peppercorns Different types of peppercorns—green, black, and white—all start the same way: as a drupe, growing in clusters on a flowering vine of the plant Piper nigrum.
—Antara Sinha, Bon Appétit, 7 Jan. 2024
The tree is known for its aromatic, white-pinkish flowers pollinated by honeybees and grows fruit called a drupe which resembles a peach or plum.
—USA TODAY, 4 July 2023
Fruit is a one-fourth-inch shiny black drupe that is rarely eaten by birds.
—Paul Cappiello, The Courier-Journal, 17 Mar. 2023
Cite this Entry
“Drupe.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/drupe. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
drupe
noun
: a fleshy fruit (as the plum, cherry, or peach) having one seed enclosed in a hard stony material
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