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

Slice into three incredibly moist layers made with crushed pineapples, bananas, pecans, and a whole lot of love. —Symiah Dorsey, Southern Living, 26 Dec. 2025

Pair wheatgrass with lemon, ginger, or pineapple to create more flavorful combinations. —Lindsay Curtis, Verywell Health, 26 Dec. 2025

Another standout is the Pineapple Fizz, reminiscent of a spicy pineapple margarita (minus the alcohol), made with pineapple, lime, jalapeño, and agave. —Micaela English, Travel + Leisure, 26 Dec. 2025

There’s Tropical Sunrise with pineapple and coconut, Orchid Bliss with orchid and sandalwood, Radiant Rose with florals and bergamot, Watermelon Spritz for something bright and juicy, and of course Vanilla-licious with warm caramel and vanilla notes. —Jessika Hardy, Refinery29, 22 Dec. 2025

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