stone = pit (of a fruit)

[vil]

Dear teachers,
Would you be kind enough to tell me whether I am right with my interpretation of the expression in bold in the following sentence from the Ondaatje’s “Thе English Patient”?

She unskins (peels) the plum with her teeth, withdraws the stone and passes the flesh of the fruit into his mouth.

stone = pit (of a fruit)

Thank you for your efforts.

Regards,

V.

[jawatokyo]

Yes. And cherries, peaches, apricots and plums are referred to as stone fruit.

[BobK]

The $10 word for 'stone fruit' is 'drupe' or 'drupaceous fruit'.

b

[vil]

drupaceous (a) = producing, or pertaining to, drupes; having the form of drupes; as, drupaceous trees or fruits; bearing drupes/

resembling, relating to, or consisting of a drupe: drupaceous fruit.

Processes wherein a pit from a drupaceous fruit is removed.

A modern apparatus for pitting olives and then slicing the pitted olives.

Fruits are classified as fleshy, drupaceous, and -dry.Fleshy fruits include berries, gourds, and melons, orange-like fruits and pomes; drupaceous fruits are stony within and fleshy without, as peaches, plums, and cherries;and dry fruits are further divided into achenes, follicles, legumes, capsules, nuts, and several other kinds.

Regards,

V.

[Tdol]

Nice word- I didn't know it.

[vil]

Hi Tdol,

Your answer perplexed me now totaly. Was it written in an ironic manner or you was really serious?

Regards,

V.

[BobK]

Hi Tdol,

Your answer perplexed me now totaly. Was it written in an ironic manner or you was really serious?

Regards,

V.

My guess is that Tdol was serious. I remember feeling the same way about 'drupe' a few years ago, when I first came across it.

b