pippin

noun

pip·pin ˈpi-pən

: a crisp tart apple having usually yellow or greenish-yellow skin strongly flushed with red and used especially for cooking

: a highly admired or very admirable person or thing

Did you know?

Since the late Middle Ages, English speakers have experimented with the use of the word pippin, which germinated from the Anglo-French word pepin, meaning "seed" or "pip of a fruit." "Pippin" has been used to refer to a part of a pea embryo, a grain of gold, and a grape, but those uses were not hardy enough to become firmly rooted in the English language. The word did take root, however, in the soil of the northern regions of England, where it is used to describe a small fruit seed. In addition, it has widespread use as the name of a crisp, tart apple and of a person who is unique, usually in a pleasant way.

Examples of pippin in a Sentence

gave a pippin of a commencement speech that earned a standing ovation

Recent Examples on the Web Their large selection of ciders ranges from dry with orange pippins to semi-dry with fresh raspberry. —

Marissa Wu, Southern Living, 21 Aug. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'pippin.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.