medlar

From Middle English medler, medeler, from Old French medler, meslier, from medle, mesdle (“medlar fruit”), from Latin mespilum, from Ancient Greek μέσπιλον (méspilon). Related to the rare mesple, via Proto-West Germanic *mespilā. Displaced Old English openærs (“open-arse”) (and similar names, from anatomical comparison).

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈmɛdlə/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈmɛdlɚ/
• (New Zealand) IPA^(key): /ˈmedlɘ/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Homophone: meddler

medlar (plural medlars)

1. Mespilus germanica, common medlar (now often Crataegus germanica).
2. Any tree of the genus Mespilus, now Crataegus sect. Mespilus, including many species now in other genera.
3. Any of several similar trees that bear similar fruit:
   1. Stern's medlar (Crataegus × canescens: family Rosaceae).
   2. Mediterranean medlar or azarole (Crataegus azarolus: family Rosaceae).
   3. Japanese medlar or loquat (Eriobotrya japonica: family Rosaceae).
   4. Spanish medlar or bulletwood (Mimusops elengi: family Sapotaceae).
   5. African medlar (Vangueria infausta: family Rubiaceae).
   6. Wolfberry, goji, red medlar (Lycium spp.).
4. The fruit of such trees, similar to small apples:
   1. Especially that of Crataegus sect. Mespilus, not eaten until it has begun to decay, or more specifically, to blet.

      Synonym: open-arse

5. (derogatory, intended sexually) A woman or a woman's genitalia (as the fruit's appearance resembles an "open-arse").
   • c. 1603–1604 (date written), William Shakespeare, “Measure for Measure”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, (please specify the act number in uppercase Roman numerals, and the scene number in lowercase Roman numerals):

     I was once before him for getting a wench with child....but I was fain to forswear it; they would else have married me to the rotten medlar.

• “medlar”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.
• William Dwight Whitney, Benjamin E[li] Smith, editors (1911), “medlar”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., →OCLC.
• Mespilus on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• Mespilus on Wikispecies.Wikispecies
• Mespilus at Plants of the World Online
• Crataegus at Plants of the World Online
• Douglas Harper (2001–2025) “medlar”, in Online Etymology Dictionary.

• Del Mar, Delmar, dermal, mardle, marled, merlad

medlar

1. alternative form of medler

medlar

1. present indicative of medla

• armled