·noun A tree of the genus Mespilus (M. Germanica); also, the fruit of the tree. The fruit is something like a small apple, but has a bony endocarp. When first gathered the flesh is hard and austere, and it is not eaten until it has begun to decay.
A fruit, vulgarly called an open a-se; of which it is more truly than delicately said, that it is ne...
Dictionary of The Vulgar Tongue by Francis Grose
A salted herring. ...
The Sailor's Word-Book