nectarine

plural nectarines

1. A cultivar of the peach with smooth rather than fuzzy skin.

   When you see a dish of fruit at dessert, you sometimes set your affections upon one particular peach or nectarine, watch it with some anxiety as it comes round the table, and feel quite a sensible disappointment when it is taken by some one else.

   1881, Robert Louis Stevenson, Virginibus Puerisque

   4 more examples

   1670, John Evelyn, Sylva, or, A Discourse of Forest-Trees to which is annexed Pomona, or, An appendix concerning Fruit-Trees in Relation to Cider, London: Jo. Martyn & Ja. Allestry, “Kalendarium Hortense,” p. 10, Prune Fruit-trees, and Vines as yet; For now is your Season to bind, plash, naile, and dresse, without danger of Frost: This to be understood of the most tender and delicate Wall-fruit, not finished before; do this before the buds and bearers grow turgid; and yet in the Nectarine and like delicate Mural-fruit, the later your Pruning, the better, whatever has been, and still is, the contrary custom.

   1681, Andrew Marvell, “The Garden,” stanza 5, in Miscellaneous Poems, London: Nonesuch, 1923, pp. 49-50, What wond’rous Life in this I lead! Ripe Apples drop about my head; The Luscious Clusters of the Vine Upon my Mouth do crush their Wine; The Nectaren, and curious Peach, Into my hands themselves do reach; Stumbling on Melons, as I pass, Insnar’d with Flow’rs, I fall on Grass.

   Guava’s, a Fruit as large as a Pipin, with Seeds and Stones in it, of an uncouth aſtringing Taſt, tho’ never ſo much be ſaid in Commendation of it, at the West-Indies, it is common for Cræolians, (who has taſted both,) to give it a Preference to Peach or Nectarine, no amazing Thing when Men whose Taſts are ſo degenerated, as to prefer a Toad in a Shell, (as Ward calls Turtle,) to Venison […]

   1724, Charles Johnson [pseudonym], “Of Captain Howel Davis, and His Crew”, in A General History of the Pyrates, […], 2nd edition, London: Printed for, and sold by T. Warner, […], →OCLC, page 199

   1742, Samuel Richardson, Pamela, London: S. Richardson, 4th edition, Volume 3, Letter 12, p. 53, So that reading constantly, and thus using yourself to write, and enjoying besides the Benefit of a good Memory, every thing you heard or read, became your own; and not only so, but was improved by passing thro’ more salubrious Ducts and Vehicles; like some fine Fruit grafted upon a common Free-stock, whose more exuberant Juices serve to bring to quicker and greater Perfection the downy Peach, or the smooth Nectarine with its crimson Blush.

2. obsoleteA nectar-like liquid medicine.

   1 more example

   1628 Robert Burton, The Anatomy of Melancholy, Oxford: Henry Cripps, 3rd edition, Part 3, Section 2, Member 5, Subsection 3, p. 509, He would have some discreet men to disswade them, after the fury of passion is a little spent, or by absence allaied; for it is intempestive at first, to give counsell, as it is, to comfort parents when their children are in that instant departed; to no purpose to prescribe Narcoticks, Cordialls, Nectarines, potions, […]

comparative more nectarine · superlative most nectarine

1. obsoleteNectarous; pertaining to or resembling nectar.

   […] to their supper-fruits they fell, Nectarine fruits which the compliant boughs Yielded them, side-long as they sat recline On the soft downy bank damasked with flowers […]

   1674, John Milton, Paradise Lost^(https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Paradise_Lost_(1674)/Book_IV), Book 4, lines 329-332