Definition

Noun 1. The pineapple plant: A tropical, herbaceous perennial plant native to South America, characterized by a short stem, a rosette of long, pointed, sword-shaped leaves, and the production of a single, large, compound, edible fruit. It is a major commercial crop cultivated in tropical regions worldwide. * Ananas comosus is the sole species in its genus grown for its fruit. * The spiky leaves of Ananas comosus can be used to produce a textile fiber.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The field was filled with rows of Ananas comosus, their silvery-green leaves shimmering in the sun.
  • Botanists study Ananas comosus to improve its resistance to disease.
  • The fruit of Ananas comosus is rich in vitamin C and the enzyme bromelain.

Advanced Usage

• In botanical and agricultural contexts: The term is used to specify the plant species in scientific, horticultural, and formal agricultural writing, distinguishing it from the common name "pineapple," which refers primarily to the fruit.
  • The study focused on the water-use efficiency of Ananas comosus under drought conditions.

Variants and Related Words

• Pineapple (n.): The common name for both the fruit and, informally, the plant .
• Bromeliaceae (n.): The botanical family to which belongs, known as the bromeliad or pineapple family.
• Multiple fruit or Sorosis (n.): A technical term for the type of fruit structure produced by , formed from the fusion of many individual flowers.

Synonyms

• Pineapple plant: The most common direct synonym in non-scientific English.
• Cultivated pineapple: Used to distinguish it from wild or ornamental bromeliad species.

Noun

1. a tropical American plant bearing a large fleshy edible fruit with a terminal tuft of stiff leaves; widely cultivated in the tropics