Fruit Salad

One that would have the fruit must climb the tree

Saturdays are perfect days for fruitful surprises. Surprise—we’re talking about vocabulary related to fruit today!

Who doesn’t love fruit, one of the fundamental building blocks of a healthy food pyramid? Fruit is easy to appreciate either as a sweet treat or, in a larger sense, as the delicious result, effect, or profit resulting from effort. The Latin root FRUI- means to enjoy or use, which comes through quite clearly in fruit words:

fruit (verb) - to bear or produce fruit

fruitful (adj) - productive, successful, or beneficial; producing desired outcomes or results

fruition (noun) - the moment of realization, attainment, or accomplishment

fruitless (adj) - unproductive or unsuccessful; without profit or results

The root FRUI- appears as FRUCT- meaning fruit or enjoyment in many scientific words, including the following:

fructify (verb) - bear fruit or become productive

fructiferous (adj) - bearing fruit

fructivorous (adj) - fruit-eating

fructose (noun) - simple sugar found in fruits, fruit juices, honey, and some vegetables

“A fruit is a vegetable with looks and money. Plus, if you let fruit rot, it turns into wine, something brussels sprouts never do.” —P. J. O'Rourke