Drupes: meaning, definitions and examples

fruit

Drupes are a type of fruit in which a fleshy outer part surrounds a shell with a seed inside. The outer fleshy part is typically sweet and juicy, making drupes a popular choice for eating fresh or using in desserts.

drupelet, stone fruit.

Which Synonym Should You Choose?

Word	Description / Examples
drupes	Scientific or botanical discussions focusing on fruit types often use 'drupes' to describe fruits with a single seed enclosed in a hard shell, surrounded by fleshy fruit. Common drupes include cherries, peaches, and plums. Cherries, peaches, and plums are all examples of drupes.
stone fruit	Commonly used in culinary contexts and everyday speech to describe fruits with a large, hard pit or 'stone' inside, stone fruit is a more everyday term. Examples include peaches, nectarines, and cherries. Peaches, nectarines, and cherries are delicious stone fruit that are perfect for summer desserts.
drupelet	'Drupelet' is used specifically when discussing the small individual segments of aggregate fruits like blackberries and raspberries. Each segment in these fruits is a tiny drupe, or drupelet. Each little bump on a blackberry is called a drupelet.

Examples of usage

• Peaches, plums, cherries, and olives are all examples of drupes.

• The drupe of a peach contains a hard pit inside the juicy fruit.

• Drupes are often used in jams and pies due to their sweet flavor.

• The drupe of an olive is pressed to extract olive oil.

• Some drupes, like cherries, have a single large seed inside.