Quince

2 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Quince \Quince\ (kw[i^]ns), n. [Prob. a pl. from OE. quyne,
     coin, OF. coin, cooin, F. coing, from L. Cydonius a quince
     tree, as adj., Cydonian, Gr. ? Cydonian, ? ? a quince, fr. ?
     Cydonia, a city in Crete, ? the Cydonians. Cf. {Quiddany}.]
     1. The fruit of a shrub ({Cydonia vulgaris}) belonging to the
        same tribe as the apple. It somewhat resembles an apple,


        but differs in having many seeds in each carpel. It has
        hard flesh of high flavor, but very acid, and is largely
        used for marmalade, jelly, and preserves.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     2. (Bot.) a quince tree or shrub.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     {Japan quince} (Bot.), an Eastern Asiatic shrub ({Cydonia
        Japonica}, formerly {Pyrus Japonica}) and its very
        fragrant but inedible fruit. The shrub has very showy
        flowers, usually red, but sometimes pink or white, and is
        much grown for ornament.
  
     {Quince curculio} (Zool.), a small gray and yellow curculio
        ({Conotrachelus crat[ae]gi}) whose larva lives in quinces.
        
  
     {Quince tree} (Bot.), the small tree ({Cydonia vulgaris})
        which produces the quince.
        [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  quince
       n 1: small Asian tree with pinkish flowers and pear-shaped fruit;
            widely cultivated [syn: {quince bush}, {Cydonia oblonga}]
       2: aromatic acid-tasting pear-shaped fruit used in preserves