ETYM Old Eng. medler medlar tree, Old Fren. meslier, French néflier, Latin mespilum, mespilus. Related to Naseberry.
1. South African globular fruit with brown leathery skin and sweet-acid pithy flesh.
2. Crabapple-like fruit used for preserves.
3. Small deciduous Eurasian tree cultivated for its fruit that resemble crab apples; SYN. medlar tree, Mespilus germanica.
Crab-applelike fruit and tree.
Small shrub or tree Mespilus germanica of the rose family Rosaceae. Native to SE Europe, it is widely cultivated for its fruit, resembling a small brown-green pear or quince. These are palatable when decay has set in.