Meanings
nounapplejohn (plural applejohns)
plural applejohns · alternative apple john · alternative apple-john
- obsoleteA variety of apple which can be kept for a long period, gradually becoming dry and withered; known today as the French crab.
What the devil hast thou brought there? apple-johns? / thou knowest Sir John cannot endure an apple-john.
a. 1599, William Shakespeare, II Henry IV, act II scene IV
Origin
From apple + John, possibly from the fact that it can be eaten on St. John's Day, June 24th, of the year after it was picked.
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
APA
applejohn. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/applejohn
MLA
“applejohn.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/applejohn. Accessed November 2, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “applejohn,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/applejohn.
Source: applejohn on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.