DictionaryhipRose fruit
noun

hip

The rounded fruit of a rose plant.

A bright red hip hangs from the wild rose bush.

Etymology

Old English hēope named the rose fruit. The modern word keeps that botanical sense, distinct from the hip of the body.

More examples

  • We gather ripe rose hips to make jelly.
  • Each hip contains seeds beneath its fleshy outer layer.
  • Birds eat the hips that remain on the roses through winter.

Forms

hip · hips

Similar words

rosehip
Names the same fruit while explicitly identifying the plant.