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

Other fruit juices that may irritate the throat include grapefruit juice, pineapple juice, and grape juice. —Carrie Madormo, Health, 19 Dec. 2025

The restaurant’s specialty is a Hawaiian-style pizza topped with controversial pineapple. —Andrea Beck, Better Homes & Gardens, 18 Dec. 2025

Near the cash register was a fake, hollow pineapple serving as a vase, filled with artificial flowers meant to look as though they were carved out of milk and white chocolate—an Inedible Arrangement. —Lauren Collins, New Yorker, 15 Dec. 2025

Some tamales are filled with pork, chicken, strips of green chili, cheese, carrot and potato, and there are even sweeter versions that include pineapple, peanut, raisins, nuts, among others. —Paula Soria, AZCentral.com, 10 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