fig

1 of 3

noun (1)

1
a
: an oblong or pear-shaped syconium fruit of a tree (genus Ficus) of the mulberry family
b
: a tree bearing figs : a ficus tree
especially : a widely cultivated tree (F. carica) that produces edible figs see also strangler fig, weeping fig compare banyan, peepul, rubber plant
2
: a worthless trifle : the least bit
doesn't care a fig

Illustration of fig

Illustration of fig
  • fig 1

fig

2 of 3

noun (2)

: dress, array
a young woman in dazzling royal full figMollie Panter-Downes

fig

3 of 3

abbreviation

figurative; figuratively; figure

Examples of fig in a Sentence

Noun (1) they choose to live modestly and don't seem to give a fig for the trappings of success
Recent Examples on the Web
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Noun
The nose is floral and aromatic, highlighting notes of honeysuckle, cinnamon, vanilla, and fig. Joseph V Micallef, Forbes.com, 22 May 2025 Landscaping the backyard and adding privacy plants while maintaining existing varieties, such as quince, pomegranate, apple, plum, orange, pineapple guava and fig trees. David Caraccio, Sacbee.com, 22 May 2025 Each of the rooms has a pool that’s solar heated, and over 600 indigenous seedlings, including olive and fig trees, were planted on the 100-acre property. Jinnie Lee Laura Regensdorf Elissa Suh Roxanne Fequiere, New York Times, 15 May 2025 Now ninety years old, Cárdenas still receives visitors at his home office, a single-story house shaded by a fig tree. Stephania Taladrid, New Yorker, 21 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for fig

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English fige, from Anglo-French, from Old Occitan figa, from Vulgar Latin *fica, from Latin ficus fig tree, fig

Noun (2)

fig, verb, to adorn

First Known Use

Noun (1)

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun (2)

1835, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of fig was in the 13th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Fig.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fig. Accessed 28 May. 2025.

Kids Definition

fig

noun
ˈfig
: an oblong or pear-shaped fruit that grows on a tree related to the mulberries
also : a tree bearing figs

Medical Definition

fig

1 of 2 noun
1
: an oblong or pear-shaped fruit that is a syconium
especially : the edible fruit of a widely cultivated tree (Ficus carica) that has laxative qualities
2
: any of a genus (Ficus) of trees of the mulberry family that produce figs

fig

2 of 2 abbreviation
figure

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