Meanings
Synonyms & antonyms
nounhairy upright herb native to southeastern Asia but widely cultivated for its large glossy edible fruit commonly used as a vegetable
nounegg-shaped vegetable having a shiny skin typically dark purple but occasionally white or yellow
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Italianmelanzana
- Renaissance Latinmalum insanum
- Englishmad apple
Calque of Renaissance Latin malum insanum, itself calqued from Italian melanzana, reanalyzed as if mela insana, perhaps under the influence of beliefs that it could cause various diseases. See further etymology at melongene.
More words from Renaissance Latin, Italian
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
mad apple. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/mad%20apple
“mad apple.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/mad%20apple. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “mad apple,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/mad%20apple.
Source: mad apple on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.