adjective
ripe
RYPE/raɪp/
Fully matured and ready for consumption.
She gently picks a ripe peach from the leafy branch.
Etymology
Old English ripe already described food ready for harvesting or eating. Its relationship to reap is usually explained as “fit for reaping,” linking maturity with readiness for use.
In context
ready ripe and ready to eat. We'll go ahead and taste one for you. This is a good piece of fruit.
More examples
- This avocado is ripe enough to mash with a fork.
- The riper bananas taste sweeter.
- We choose the ripest tomatoes for our salad.
Forms
ripe · riper · ripest
ripen verb — To become or make ready to eat.
ripeness noun — The condition of being mature enough to eat.