Adam's apple

Meaning

Noun

• The lump in the throat, usually more noticeable in men than in women; the laryngeal prominence.
• Tabernaemontana divaricata (species), a fragrant houseplant native to southeast Asia.
• A species of banana, Musa × paradisiaca (nothospecies).
• The citron, Citrus limetta, now Citrus medica.

Origin

• , 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).