Word of the Day

: May 12, 2010

fructuous

adjective FRUK-chuh-wus

What It Means

: fruitful

fructuous in Context

"The parents in our 1924 drama, like most parents past and forevermore, are praying mainly for a sound baby, with all the stuff for a long, fructuous life." (Ed Hayes, Orlando Sentinel, May 11, 2008)

Did You Know?

In Latin the word "fructus" means both "fruit" and "enjoyment" or "use." A rich crop of English derivatives grew from that root, including "fructuous," "fructose" (a sugar found in fruits), "fruition" ("the state of bearing fruit"), "usufruct" ("the right to use or enjoy something"), and even "fruit" itself. "Fructuous" comes from the Middle French adjective "fructueux" and the Latin adjective "fructuosus," both ultimately derived from "fructus."