late 14c., of types of apples or apple-shaped objects, from Old French pome "apple" (12c., Modern French pomme), from Late Latin or Vulgar Latin *poma "apple," originally plural of Latin pomus "fruit," later "apple" (see Pomona).
| pome (pōm) A fleshy simple fruit that has several seed chambers developed from a compound ovary and an outer fleshy part developed from the enlarged base of the flower. The pome is an accessory fruit and is characteristic of certain plants in the rose family, such as the apple and pear. Also called false fruit. Compare berry, drupe. See more at accessory fruit, simple fruit. |