pineapple

noun

pine·​ap·​ple ˈpī-ˌna-pəl 

1

a

: a tropical monocotyledonous plant (Ananas comosus of the family Bromeliaceae, the bromeliad family) that has rigid spiny-margined recurved leaves and a short stalk with a dense oblong head of small abortive flowers

b

: the large edible multiple fruit of the pineapple that consists of the sweet succulent fleshy inflorescence

2

: a hand grenade

Examples of pineapple in a Sentence

a can of chopped pineapple

Recent Examples on the Web

Baulsir said the Chandler Bing, which is Mountain Dew, strawberry, pineapple and coconut, is one of his favorites. —Sean Krofssik, Hartford Courant, 22 Feb. 2026

Inspired by both old-school church cookbook carrot salads and Chick-fil-A's beloved (and retired) classic menu item, this salad brings together carrots, raisins, pineapple, and mayonnaise into a surprisingly tasty result. —Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 21 Feb. 2026

If citrus isn’t your style, berry-forward Fulton & Rourke Ladybird or YSL Libre Berry Crush have a fruity profile with a little more weight (thanks to rich musk base notes of both), and Fabbrica Della Musa Opera Infernal offers a rich, juicy pineapple and bergamot. —Loren Savini, Allure, 21 Feb. 2026

Grandma Syl’s flaky cream cheese pastry was shaped into tiny triangles framing sweet dollops of her homemade raspberry and apricot-pineapple jams. —Betsy Andrews, Saveur, 20 Feb. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1624, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing pineapple

• pineapple guava
• pineapple sage

Rhymes for pineapple

• appal
• apple
• chapel
• dapple
• grapple

Kids Definition

pineapple

noun

pine·​ap·​ple ˈpī-ˌnap-əl 

: a tropical plant with stiff spiny sword-shaped leaves and a short flowering stalk that develops into an edible fruit with usually pale yellow sweet juicy flesh and very thick skin

also : this fruit

Etymology

Middle English pinappel "the cone of a pine"; so called because the fruit looks like the cone from a pine tree

Medical Definition

pineapple

noun

pine·​ap·​ple ˈpī-ˌnap-əl 

1

: a tropical monocotyledonous plant (Ananas comosus of the family Bromeliaceae, the pineapple family) that has rigid spiny-margined recurved leaves and a short stalk with a dense oblong head of small abortive flowers

2

: the multiple fruit of the pineapple that consists of the succulent fleshy inflorescence and whose juice is the source of the proteolytic enzyme bromelain