Definition

1. Noun:
   • Dry fruit: A type of fruit that does not become fleshy or juicy when ripe. Instead, its pericarp (fruit wall) becomes dry, hard, leathery, or papery at maturity. This is a botanical classification.
   • Dried fruit: In common, non-botanical usage, it can refer to a fruit that has been deliberately dehydrated or dried for preservation, such as raisins or dried mangoes.

Usage Examples

• Noun (Botanical):

  • Hạt của quả khô thường được phát tán nhờ gió. (The seeds of a dry fruit are often dispersed by the wind.)
  • Đậu và lúa mì là những ví dụ về quả khô. (Beans and wheat are examples of dry fruits.)

• Noun (Culinary):

  • Cô ấy thích ăn các loại quả khô như mận khô và chà là. (She likes to eat dried fruits like prunes and dates.)
  • Quả khô là món ăn vặt bổ dưỡng. (Dried fruit is a nutritious snack.)

Advanced Usage

• The term is primarily used in scientific or educational contexts when referring to the botanical definition. In everyday life, the culinary meaning is more common.
• To avoid ambiguity in scientific contexts, the full term "quả khô đơn" (simple dry fruit) or "quả khô kép" (compound dry fruit) may be used.

Variants and Related Words

• Hoa quả sấy khô / Trái cây sấy khô (n): This is the clearer, more specific term for commercially prepared dried fruit.

  • Tôi mua một túi hoa quả sấy khô ở siêu thị. (I bought a bag of dried fruit at the supermarket.)

• Quả hạch (n): A type of simple, dry fruit with a hard, stony shell surrounding a single seed (e.g., peach, plum from a botanical view). This is a specific sub-category of dry fruit.

• Quả đậu (n): A legume; a type of dry fruit that splits open along two seams (e.g., pea pod, bean pod).

Synonyms

• Botanical: Dry fruit, indehiscent/dehiscent fruit (technical).
• Culinary: Dried fruit.

Related Concepts

• Quả thịt (n): Fleshy fruit. The direct botanical opposite of a dry fruit, characterized by a soft, juicy pericarp when ripe (e.g., tomato, berry, peach).
• Hạt (n): Seed. Many dry fruits contain seeds that are released when the fruit wall opens or breaks.