ripen (/ˈraɪpən/)
verb · Intermediate · Food & Drink
🔊 /ˈraɪpən/
Meaning
Meaning: become ripe and ready to eat
To become ripe, or to make fruit become ripe and ready to eat. It happens as fruit grows softer and sweeter.
Examples
🗣 The bananas will ripen on the windowsill.
Etymology
From ‘ripe’ (Old English ‘rīpe’) plus the verb suffix ‘-en’.
How & Where It’s Used
Used for fruit and figuratively for plans or ideas that develop.
Tags: food, fruit