The term fruit has many different meanings depending on its context. In botany, a fruit is the ripened ovary (together with seeds) of a flowering plant. Fruits are the means by which flowering plants disseminate seeds.

In cuisine, when discussing fruit as food, the term usually refers to those plant fruits that are sweet and fleshy. However, a great many common vegetables, as well as nuts and grains, are the fruit of that plant species. No single terminology really fits the enormous variety that is found among plant fruits.