Adam's apple en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- (Southern-England) audio
Etymology
Calque of Latin pomum Adami, which is found in the botanical sense from 1560 and the anatomical sense from 1600. According to the earliest sources, the anatomical usage derives from a common belief that Adam was punished by God for the fall of man by having a piece of the forbidden fruit lodged in his throat (see 1662 citation).
Meanings
-
The lump in the throat, usually more noticeable in men than in women; the laryngeal prominence.
That same bunch which is seen on the foreside of the Neck, is called Adams Apple, because the common people have a beliefe, that by the judgement of God, a part of that fatal Apple, abode sticking in Adams Throat, and is so communicated to his posterity
1662 [1651], Nicholas Culpeper, Abdiah Cole, transl., Bartholinus Anatomy, London: Peter Cole, translation of Protuberantia illa in collo anterius conspicua, dicitur Pomum Adami; [quia vulgo persuasum in Adami faucibus pomi fatalis partem ex pœna Divina remansisse, & ad posteros translatam] by Thomas Bartholin, page 123:A barber shop and pool room. A man in shirt sleeves, presumably Del Snafflin the proprietor, shaving a man who had a large Adam's apple.
1920, Sinclair Lewis, Main Street: The Story of Carol Kennicott, New York, N.Y.: Harcourt, Brace and Howe, →OCLC:He was seated some way down a table at right angles to the one at which I sat, a man of mean appearance with a greyish complexion, thin, with a square nose, a heavy wiry moustache and a big Adam's apple sticking out between the wings of his collar.
1911, H[erbert] G[eorge] Wells, The New Machiavelli, London: John Lane; The Bodley Head […], →OCLC:And our young – well, youngish, since the male cast is now 90% Adam’s apple – heroes have to stop him.
2025 December 26, Stuart Heritage, “Stranger Things season five vol 2 review – the fact that this isn’t unbearable is a miracle”, in The Guardian, →ISSN:The thickness of his wrist and the greatness of his fingers made authentic the mighty frame of him hidden under loose dungaree pants and cotton shirt, buttonless, open from midriff to Adam’s apple, exposing a chest matted with a thatch of hair as white as that of his head and face.
1919 September, Jack London, “The Bones of Kahelili”, in On the Makaloa Mat, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company, →OCLC, pages 42–43:
- Any member of the species Tabernaemontana divaricata of fragrant houseplants, native to southeast Asia.
- Any of hybrid species Musa × paradisiaca, of cultivated bananas.
-
A citron (Citrus limetta, syn. of Citrus medica).
The fourth [name of the citron] is named of diuers Pomum Assyrium, or Citron of Assyria, and may be Englished Adams apple, after the Italian name, and among the vulgar sort of Italians Lomie, of whom it is also called Pomum Adami, or Adams apple, and that came by the opinion of the commom rude people, who thinke it to be the same Apple, of which Adam did eate in Paradise when he transgressed Gods commandement
1597, John Gerarde, The Herball or Generall Historie of Plantes, London: John Norton, page 1281:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adam's apples | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Synonyms
apple · Adam's morsel · butterfly gardenia · carnation of India · apple of Adam · goozle · coffee rose · East Indian rosebay · pinwheel flower · Tabernaemontana coronaria · Nero's crown · crape jasmine · crepe gardenia · laryngeal prominence
Translations (121)
ja 喉仏 (lump in the throat) · bcl kagulkol (lump in the throat) · fo barkaknetti (lump in the throat) · ro mărul lui Adam (lump in the throat) · sq arrëza e fytit (lump in the throat) · ka ხვანჩი (lump in the throat) · es nuez de Adán (lump in the throat) · ka ადამის ვაშლი (lump in the throat) · ckv tiquq (lump in the throat) · hi टेंटुआ (lump in the throat) · pt pomo de Adão (lump in the throat) · nn adamseple (lump in the throat) · hi कंठमणि (lump in the throat) · fr pomme d'Adam (lump in the throat) · uk ада́мове я́блуко (lump in the throat) · gl nó da gorxa (lump in the throat) · ru ада́мово я́блоко (lump in the throat) · bg Ада́мова я́бълка (lump in the throat) · si උගුරු ඇටය (lump in the throat) · pt maçã de Adão (lump in the throat) · mi tane o te kakī (lump in the throat) · az Adəm Alması (lump in the throat) · da adamsæble (lump in the throat) · sv fjärilsgardenia (Tabernaemontana divaricata) · sh Adamova jabučica (lump in the throat) · cmn 喉結 /喉结 (lump in the throat) · be кадык (lump in the throat) · ca garganxó (lump in the throat) · arz تفاحة آدم (lump in the throat) · ilo ammutil (lump in the throat) · tr âdemelması (lump in the throat) · ar حَرْقَدَة (lump in the throat) · th ลูกกระเดือก (lump in the throat) · sq Molla e Adamit (lump in the throat) · lnd terangok (lump in the throat) · km គ្រាប់ពោន (lump in the throat) · sw kikoromeo (lump in the throat) · mi tenga (lump in the throat) · ba күмәгәй (lump in the throat) · es manzana de Adán (lump in the throat) · sv adamsäpple (lump in the throat) · mk ја́болкце (lump in the throat) · ja 喉頭隆起 (lump in the throat) · ka ხორხის შვერილი (lump in the throat) · gd meall-sgòrnain (lump in the throat) · pl jabłko Adama (lump in the throat) · uk кади́к (lump in the throat) · hsb wohryzk (lump in the throat) · sk Adamovo jablko (lump in the throat) · fy adamsapel (lump in the throat) · mi kenakena (lump in the throat) · nl adamsappel (lump in the throat) · ar تُفَّاحَة آدَم (lump in the throat) · lt gerklų iškyšulys (lump in the throat) · it pomo d'Adamo (lump in the throat) · gl noz (lump in the throat) · fo barkaknolli (lump in the throat) · uk борла́к (lump in the throat) · eo tireoido (lump in the throat) · gsw Halsbëtzgi (lump in the throat) · mk Ада́мово ја́болко (lump in the throat) · hy ադամախնձոր (lump in the throat) · wa gaviote (lump in the throat) · he גרוגרת (lump in the throat) · dsb jabłuško (lump in the throat) · hu ádámcsutka (lump in the throat) · et kõrisõlm (lump in the throat) · mr कंठमणी (lump in the throat) · ht pòmdadan (lump in the throat) · es bocado de Adán (lump in the throat) · fo barkakýli (lump in the throat) · sah хабарҕа болчуоҕа (lump in the throat) · vi lồi thanh quản (lump in the throat) · yue 喉欖 /喉榄 (lump in the throat) · xnb tanukura (lump in the throat) · fi aataminomena (lump in the throat) · ru горта́нный вы́ступ (lump in the throat) · mr घाटी (lump in the throat) · grc πρόλοβος (lump in the throat) · cs ohryzek (lump in the throat) · el μήλο του Αδάμ (lump in the throat) · izh kulkkusolmi (lump in the throat) · nv azooł dah dijoolígíí (lump in the throat) · crh qıqırdaq (lump in the throat) · mn төвөнх (lump in the throat) · ce логан шад (lump in the throat) · cy afal breuant (lump in the throat) · yue 喉核 (lump in the throat) · gl mazá de Adán (lump in the throat) · fo barkaknøttur (lump in the throat) · la prominentia laryngea (lump in the throat) · kmr sêva Adem (lump in the throat) · rmf aadamisko phamb (lump in the throat) · lt Adomo obuolys (lump in the throat) · jv kalamenjing (lump in the throat) · ca nou del coll (lump in the throat) · es nuez (lump in the throat) · tr boğurdak (lump in the throat) · kw aval briansen (lump in the throat) · tya atowai (lump in the throat) · crh almaçıq (lump in the throat) · sh Адамова јабучица (lump in the throat) · ga úll na brád (lump in the throat) · rmf aadamisko ȟampos (lump in the throat) · mi korirangi (lump in the throat) · ms halkum (lump in the throat) · izh kulkkumuna (lump in the throat) · be адамаў яблык (lump in the throat) · is barkakýli (lump in the throat) · ru кады́к (lump in the throat) · nb adamseple (lump in the throat) · tl gulung-gulungan (lump in the throat) · pl grdyka (lump in the throat) · afb تفاحة آدم (lump in the throat) · id jakun (lump in the throat) · de Adamsapfel (lump in the throat) · is adamsepli (lump in the throat) · scn pumu d'Adamu (lump in the throat) · si උගුරු ගැටය (lump in the throat) · ka ხორხის მაღლობი (lump in the throat) · sk ohryzok (lump in the throat)