mirabelle

Meanings

1. 1nouncountable

   A small, round, sweet plum with yellow or golden skin, or the tree that produces it.

   Grammar: Countable: you can say a mirabelle, two mirabelles, or mirabelle trees.

   Patterns

   • a mirabelle tree
   • mirabelle jam
   • pick mirabelles

   She bought a bag of mirabelles at the market and ate them on the way home.

   The mirabelle tree in their garden produces fruit every August.

   This mirabelle is so sweet that it tastes almost like honey.

2. 2noununcountablespecialist

   A brandy or eau-de-vie distilled from mirabelle plums, especially in France.

   Grammar: Uncountable when talking about the drink: a glass of mirabelle.

   Patterns

   • a glass of mirabelle
   • mirabelle brandy

   After dinner they served a small glass of mirabelle.

   The region is known for its mirabelle, which is distilled from local fruit.

Word forms

Common combinations

mirabelle plum

The mirabelle plum is smaller and sweeter than a common plum.

mirabelle tree

They planted a mirabelle tree near the south wall.

mirabelle jam

Homemade mirabelle jam is a specialty of the region.

mirabelle season

Mirabelle season is short, so we buy them while we can.

a glass of mirabelle

He ordered a glass of mirabelle after the meal.

mirabelle tart

The bakery sells a delicious mirabelle tart in late summer.

Synonyms and how they differ

plum

Plum is the general word for many round, sweet fruits; mirabelle is a specific small, golden variety.

greengage

Greengage is another small, sweet plum, but it is green rather than yellow.

Word family

mirabelle plum noun

The full name for the fruit, used especially when distinguishing it from other plums.

Commonly confused: mirabelle or mirage?

Practice

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