medlar

Via Middle English from Old French medler, from medle, mesdle (“medlar fruit”), from Latin mespilum, from Ancient Greek μέσπιλον (méspilon)

medlar (plural medlars)

1. Mespilus germanica, common medlar (now often Crataegus germanica)
2. Any tree of the genus Mespilus, now often Crataegus sect. Mespilus, including many species now in other genera.
3. Any of several similar trees that bear similar fruit
   1. Stern's medlar (Crataegus × canescens: family Rosaceae)
   2. Mediterranean medlar or azarole (Crataegus azarolus: family Rosaceae)
   3. Japanese medlar or loquat (Eriobotrya japonica: family Rosaceae)
   4. Spanish medlar or bulletwood (Mimusops elengi: family Sapotaceae)
   5. African medlar (Vangueria infausta: family Rubiaceae)
   6. Wolfberry, goji, red medlar (Lycium spp.),
4. The fruit of such trees, similar to small apples
   1. especially that of Crataegus sect. Mespilus, not eaten until it has begun to decay, or more specifically, to blet.
5. (derogatory, intended sexually) A woman or a woman's genitalia (as the fruit's appearance mimics an "open-arse")
   • c. 1604: Measure for Measure, William Shakespeare

     I was once before him for getting a wench with child....but I was fain to forswear it; they would else have married me to the rotten medlar.

• African medlar
• common medlar (Mespilus germanica)
• Dutch medlar (Mespilus germanica)
• Japan medlar, Japanese medlar (loquat)
• Mediterranean medlar (Crataegus azarolus)
• Neapolitan medlar (Crataegus azarolus)
• red medlar
• Savoy medlar
• Spanish medlar
• Stern's medlar
• Welsh medlar (Crataegus azarolus)

• medlar at OneLook Dictionary Search
• medlar in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.
• Mespilus on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• Mespilus on Wikispecies.Wikispecies
• Mespilus at The Plant List

• Delmar, dermal, mardle, marled, merlad

medlar

1. present tense of medla.