peach

1 of 2

noun

ˈpēch 

1

a

: a low spreading freely branching Chinese tree (Prunus persica) of the rose family that has lanceolate leaves and sessile usually pink flowers and is widely cultivated in temperate areas for its edible fruit which is a single-seeded drupe with a hard central stone, a pulpy white or yellow flesh, and a thin fuzzy skin

b

: the edible fruit of the peach

2

: a moderate yellowish pink

3

: one resembling a peach (as in sweetness, beauty, or excellence)

peach

2 of 2

verb

peached; peaching; peaches

transitive verb

: to inform against : betray

intransitive verb

: to turn informer : blab

Did you know?

If you guessed that the origin of this verb peach has something to do with a slightly fuzzy fruit, you are unfortunately incorrect. The fruit peach is an unrelated word that traces back to the Latin phrase malum persicum, literally meaning "Persian fruit." The verb blossomed from Middle English apechen ("to accuse"), itself an offspring of the Anglo-French verbs apecher and empecher, both meaning "to ensnare." Empecher is also an ancestor of the English verb impeach, meaning "to bring an accusation against." Both of these English verbs can be traced back to Latin impedicare, meaning "to shackle the feet," and that word is itself rooted in ped-, pes, meaning "foot."

Synonyms

Noun

• beaut
• beauty
• bee's knees
• cat's meow
• corker
• crackerjack
• crackajack
• daisy
• dandy
• dilly
• doozy
• doozie
• doozer
• dream
• honey
• hot stuff
• humdinger
• hummer
• jim-dandy
• knockout
• lollapalooza
• lulu [slang]
• nifty
• pip
• pippin
• ripper
• ripsnorter
• snorter
• sockdolager
• sockdologer
• standout
• sweetheart

Examples of peach in a Sentence

Noun

fondly remembers his old Studebaker as being a peach of a car

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

From blueberries to raspberries and blackberries, then on to peaches and apples, the season is full of opportunities. —Paul Cappiello, The Courier-Journal, 7 June 2024

Here, the winery’s kitchen shares a recipe that’s perfect for sunny days out on the grass — a French green bean salad, zesty with aged sherry vinegar and sweet with peaches picked at the peak of the season. —John Metcalfe, The Mercury News, 3 June 2024

Distribution of famed Georgia peaches accounts for $30-40 million in revenue annually. —Associated Pess, Orange County Register, 30 May 2024

His favorites for 2024 include stone fruits like peaches and nectarines, slabs or skewers of pineapple, thick slices of tomato, and avocado halves. —Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 31 May 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English peche, from Anglo-French pesche, peche (the fruit), from Late Latin persica, from Latin (malum) persicum, literally, Persian fruit

Verb

Middle English pechen, short for apechen to accuse, from Anglo-French apecher, empecher to ensnare — more at impeach

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1560, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Phrases Containing peach

• green peach aphid
• lesser peach tree borer
• peach fuzz
• peach leaf curl
• peach tree borer

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Kids Definition

peach

noun

ˈpēch

1

: a sweet juicy fruit with white or yellow flesh, a thin fuzzy skin, and a single seed enclosed in a rough stony covering that is produced by a low spreading Chinese tree related to the plums and cherries and grown in most temperate areas

also : this tree

2

: a moderate yellowish pink