English dictionary, thesaurus, translations & etymology
FreeDict.com
noun

fruitcake

FROOT-kayk

Fruitcake (noun) means a dense cake made with dried fruit, nuts, and spices, often served at Christmas or weddings. Example: “Grandma's fruitcake gets soaked in brandy every December.”

noun
1
A dense cake made with dried fruit, nuts, and spices, often served at Christmas or weddings.
"Grandma's fruitcake gets soaked in brandy every December."
2
An eccentric or crazy person (informal).
"He's a bit of a fruitcake, but he means well."

How to use fruitcake

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishA rich cake full of dried fruit, or informally, a strange or crazy person.

Common pairings
nutty as a fruitcake Christmas fruitcake

Word forms

fruitcakes plural

Study it as flashcards or scroll it in Flow — saved to your collection.
Test yourself on “fruitcake” A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage

Fill the gap

Can you complete this real example?

Grandma's _____ gets soaked in brandy every December.

Etymology

A compound of fruit and cake, first recorded around 1687; the "crazy person" sense (as in "nutty as a fruitcake") appeared much later, in the 1950s.

· First attested 1687

Class of 1687 fruitcake joined the language around 1687.
See the full Class of 1687 →

Related words

Rhymes for fruitcake

See all rhymes for fruitcake →

Frequently asked questions

What does “fruitcake” mean?

The word “fruitcake” means a dense cake made with dried fruit, nuts, and spices, often served at Christmas or weddings. In plain terms, a rich cake full of dried fruit, or informally, a strange or crazy person.

How do you pronounce “fruitcake”?

“Fruitcake” is pronounced FROOT-kayk (/ˈfɹuːt.keɪk/ in IPA).

How do you use “fruitcake” in a sentence?

Here is “fruitcake” used in a sentence: “Grandma's fruitcake gets soaked in brandy every December.”

What part of speech is “fruitcake”?

“Fruitcake” is a noun.

Where does the word “fruitcake” come from?

The word “fruitcake” dates back to around 1687. A compound of fruit and cake, first recorded around 1687; the "crazy person" sense (as in "nutty as a fruitcake") appeared much later, in the 1950s.

How many meanings does “fruitcake” have?

“Fruitcake” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a dense cake made with dried fruit, nuts, and spices, often served at Christmas or weddings.

People also searched

Definitions: FreeDict original editorial