kumquat

Meanings

1. 1nouncountable

   A small, oval, orange citrus fruit with a sweet, edible skin and a sour inside, usually eaten whole.

   Grammar: Countable: one kumquat, a bowl of kumquats.

   Patterns

   • a kumquat tree
   • kumquats in syrup

   She sliced a kumquat into the salad for a tangy flavor.

   Kumquats are usually eaten whole, skin and all.

   We made marmalade from the kumquats in our garden.

2. 2nouncountable

   The small evergreen tree or shrub that bears this fruit.

   Grammar: Countable: a kumquat in a pot.

   Patterns

   • a potted kumquat

   My neighbor grows a kumquat in a large pot.

   The kumquat blooms with white flowers in spring.

   A young kumquat needs plenty of sunshine.

Word forms

Common combinations

a ripe kumquat

A ripe kumquat is bright orange and slightly soft.

kumquat marmalade

Kumquat marmalade is both sweet and bitter.

candied kumquats

We served candied kumquats with the cake.

kumquat tree

The kumquat tree needs warm weather.

sliced kumquats

Add some sliced kumquats to the salad.

Synonyms and how they differ

mandarin

A mandarin is a larger citrus fruit with a peel you remove, while a kumquat is tiny and eaten with its skin.

tangerine

A tangerine is much bigger and sweeter, and you peel it, unlike a kumquat.

cumquat

Cumquat is simply a less common spelling of kumquat.

Word family

kumquats noun

the plural form

citrus noun

the fruit family that includes oranges and lemons

calamondin noun

a related small citrus fruit

Commonly confused: kumquat or quince?

Practice

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