apple-pie

A freshly baked apple-pie cools on the kitchen windowsill.

Definition

1. Noun:

   • A baked dessert: "apple-pie" refers to a sweet or savoury pie filled with apples, typically baked in a pastry crust. It is a classic dessert in many cuisines, especially American and British.
   • Symbol of traditional values: In figurative use, "apple-pie" often represents wholesome, homely, or quintessentially American ideals, as in the phrase "as American as apple pie."

2. Adjective:

   • Characteristic of traditional or idealized domesticity: Describing something as "apple-pie" implies it is simple, wholesome, or nostalgic, often associated with family and home.

Usage Examples

• Noun:

  • She baked an apple-pie for the family dinner. (A pie made with apples, served as dessert.)
  • The phrase "as American as apple pie" reflects a cultural stereotype. (A metaphor for something quintessentially American.)

• Adjective:

  • They lived an apple-pie life in a small town. (A life of simple, traditional domestic happiness.)

Advanced Usage

• "Apple-pie order": A phrase meaning perfect order or neatness, often used to describe a state of being well-organized.

  • Her desk was in apple-pie order after she cleaned it. (Everything was arranged perfectly and neatly.)

• "Apple-pie bed": A prank where a bed is made with sheets folded so that a person cannot stretch their legs out.

  • The children made an apple-pie bed as a joke for their guest. (A trick involving a bed made uncomfortably short.)

Variants and Related Words

• Apple pie (n, hyphenated or open form): The same as "apple-pie," used interchangeably.

  • He ordered a slice of apple pie. (The dessert.)

• Apple-pie-like (adj): Resembling or characteristic of apple pie.

  • The room had an apple-pie-like warmth and comfort. (Homely and inviting.)

Synonyms

• Pie: A baked dish with a filling, though "pie" alone is broader.
• Tart: A similar dessert, often open-faced, but "apple-pie" is distinct as a covered pie.

Related Idioms

• As American as apple pie: Something that is quintessentially American or typical of American culture.

  • Baseball is as American as apple pie. (A symbol of American identity.)

• Apple-pie order: Perfect neatness or organization.

  • The kitchen was kept in apple-pie order by the chef. (Immaculately tidy.)

Phrasal Verbs

Note: "Apple-pie" does not commonly form phrasal verbs; it is primarily used as a noun or adjective in fixed phrases.