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I want to know a hypernym I can use to call products from trees. For example, mangoes, coconuts, oranges, bananas.

I want to use this word in a context like below sentences.

  1. Mangoes are .... of mango trees.
  2. Bananas are .... of banana trees.
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Nuts are also the product of trees. – Robusto Dec 28 '12 at 13:26
1  
And cinnamon and maple syrup are both products of trees, but are neither fruits nor nuts. – Peter Shor Dec 28 '12 at 14:02
I think the O.P. needs to clarify whether we are talking about fruits and nuts alone, or about lumber, saps, leaves, and bark as well (some of which are used in teas, syrups, extracts, or herbal remedies). – J.R. Dec 28 '12 at 19:40

4 Answers

up vote 7 down vote accepted

Mangoes, coconuts, oranges and bananas are fruits.

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Can I say "Mangoes are fruits of mango trees"? – code4eight Dec 28 '12 at 12:42
You can, but it's so obvious that I wonder why you would want to. (In any case, you would have to say the fruits). – Barrie England Dec 28 '12 at 12:48
There are a few cases where it's not so obvious (like, "The acorn is the fruit of the oak tree"). But whether or not fruits is a complete hypernym depends on @PeterShor's question above; namely, Does maple syrup count? Or, for that matter, eucalyptus leaves? – J.R. Dec 28 '12 at 19:36
@J.R.It's obvious that mangoes are the fruits of mango trees. That's all. – Barrie England Dec 28 '12 at 19:38
Can I also say "Fruits are the fruits of trees"? It sounds strange to say this but I want to make sure that I understand that word the way you explain it. :) – code4eight Jan 3 at 4:01
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up vote 3 down vote

Fruit is a word that not only means edible but anything from a supply. Example usage:

He is the fruit of my loins.

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Not all fruits are edible; some are poisonous. Generally speaking, from a horticultural perspective, fruit means "seed-bearing" (which is why a tomato is a fruit, as are cucumbers, pumpkins, and peppers). – J.R. Dec 28 '12 at 19:42
And not all products of a supply are called "fruit", even metaphorically. Sexual reproduction is the primary context in which this term is used as a euphemism. The analogy is that the man's "seed" falls into the fertile woman, who "bears fruit". Ideas, and products incorporating them, are also sometimes called "fruit" of the group that developed them. Virtually nothing else is referred to using this metaphor. – KeithS Dec 28 '12 at 20:05
up vote 0 down vote

Collins licenses 'tree husbandry' as well as 'forest management' for forestry:

forestry [ˈfɒrɪstrɪ] n

  1. (Life Sciences & Allied Applications / Forestry) the science of planting and caring for trees

  2. (Life Sciences & Allied Applications / Forestry) the planting and management of forests

After examining other definitions, I'm sure the term forestry can be extended to include the obtaining of products from trees.

We can then use the term forestry products to cover all relevant products, whether simply obtained (fruits, nuts), obtained with more art (latex, timber) or made from more basic products (plywood, tyres) - no matter how primitive or sophisticated the harvesting / refining / manufacturing processes that are involved.

At http://www.envirothon.org/pdf/CG/forest_products.pdf , The Almost Everything In The Whole Wide World Made From Trees ... is a very informative article.

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up vote -1 down vote

Mangoes are the yield of mango trees.

Bananas are the yield of banana trees.

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