fig-mulberry
/ˈfɪɡˌmʌlbɛri/
noun
Origin
English
fig + mulberry — a fruit resembling both the fig and the mulberry
Overview
Meaning Now
- A common name for certain plants in the genus Ficus, specifically those with fruit resembling a mulberry or having a syconium that is harvested for food.
Literal older meaning
A compound descriptive term combining 'fig' (Ficus) and 'mulberry' (Morus) to describe a plant with superficial structural similarities.
Language path
Old English → Middle English → English
Earliest form
fig-mulberry
Earliest period
18th century
Journey
The term reflects the 18th and 19th-century practice of giving descriptive common names to newly identified plant species in colonial botany, often drawing analogies to familiar European fruits.
Evolution
- Old English
fic + morberie
“ficus/fig and mulberry tree”
Separate components before being combined as a common noun.
- Modern English
fig-mulberry
“descriptive common name”
Used primarily in botanical or horticultural contexts.
Connections
Word parts
fig
root
ficus fruit
mulberry
root
morus fruit
Related words
Explore next
Related to fig-mulberry
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.