p-e-a-c-h
PEACH is a sweet, juicy stone fruit with fuzzy skin, ranging from yellow to pink-orange. It also means to inform against someone or something exceptionally good.
12
Points in Scrabble
Base tile values • No multipliers applied
PEACH embodies summer's essence—a fruit so culturally significant it has transcended botany to become metaphor, color reference, and symbol of perfection. This versatile word captures both the literal stone fruit beloved worldwide and figurative meanings ranging from excellence ("she's a peach") to betrayal ("to peach on someone"). From ancient Chinese mythology to modern emoji culture, peaches have maintained their status as nature's perfect sweet.
Botanically, a peach (Prunus persica) is a deciduous tree fruit characterized by fuzzy skin, sweet flesh, and a hard pit containing a bitter seed. Despite its scientific name suggesting Persian origins, peaches actually originated in China over 8,000 years ago. The fruit typically measures 3-4 inches in diameter, with skin colors ranging from yellow to deep orange-red, often with a pink blush. The flesh varies from white to yellow to red, with different varieties offering unique flavor profiles from honey-sweet to tangy.
The slang meaning—to inform or tattle—emerged in the early 20th century, possibly from the notion of "splitting" or "opening up" like a ripe peach. This usage appears in crime fiction and underworld slang: "Don't peach on your partners." The verb form remains less common than the fruit reference but adds linguistic richness, especially in British English where "to peach" maintains currency in informal speech.
As a descriptor of excellence, "peach" has been American slang since the mid-1800s. Calling someone or something "a peach" suggests sweetness, desirability, and perfection. This usage peaked in the early-to-mid 20th century—"She's a real peach!"—but remains understood if somewhat dated. The association between peaches and idealized beauty runs deep, from classical Chinese poetry describing "peach blossom faces" to modern "peaches and cream" complexions.
Peach cultivation represents one of humanity's oldest agricultural achievements. China still produces over 60% of the world's peaches, followed by Italy, Spain, and the United States. Georgia's designation as the "Peach State" reflects the fruit's economic and cultural importance, though California actually produces more peaches. The fruit requires specific climate conditions: cold winters for dormancy (chill hours) and warm, dry summers for ripening.
Nutritionally, peaches offer impressive health benefits. A medium peach contains only 60 calories but provides 15% of daily vitamin C needs, along with vitamin A, potassium, and dietary fiber. The fruit's antioxidants, particularly in the skin, include chlorogenic acid and anthocyanins with anti-inflammatory properties. Traditional Chinese medicine has long recognized peach kernels (tao ren) as medicinal, though they contain toxic compounds and require careful preparation.
For Scrabble enthusiasts, PEACH delivers solid scoring potential with its 12-point base value. The high-value letters P (3 points), C (3 points), and H (4 points) contribute 10 of those points, making strategic placement crucial. The word's common letters and familiar spelling increase playability, while its potential for pluralization (PEACHES) and adjective form (PEACHY) offer extension possibilities. The -EACH ending creates opportunities for parallel plays with words like BEACH, REACH, and TEACH.
The etymology of "peach" traces a fascinating journey along ancient trade routes, reflecting millennia of cultural exchange and linguistic evolution. The word entered Middle English as "peche" from Old French "pesche," itself derived from Medieval Latin "pesca." This Latin form shortened from "persica," meaning "Persian (fruit)," based on the Roman belief that peaches originated in Persia (modern Iran).
The classical Latin name "malum persicum" (Persian apple) reveals ancient misconceptions about the fruit's origins. Romans encountered peaches through Persian trade networks and naturally assumed Persia was their homeland. In fact, peaches had traveled from China through Central Asia to Persia centuries before reaching Rome. This geographical confusion embedded itself in the fruit's scientific name, Prunus persica, which botanists retained despite knowing the Chinese origins.
The linguistic path shows remarkable consistency:
The slang verb "to peach" (meaning to inform or betray) has a completely different etymology. It derives from Middle English "apechen," meaning to accuse or impeach, ultimately from Latin "impedicare" (to entangle). The similarity to the fruit name is pure coincidence—a false etymology that nonetheless influences how we understand the word. Some folk etymologies suggest the connection comes from "splitting open" secrets like opening a peach.
Regional variations reflect local linguistic evolution. American English retained "peach" universally, while British dialects sometimes use "peach" specifically for yellow-fleshed varieties. The Spanish "melocotón" and Portuguese "pêssego" both derive from Latin but through different phonetic paths. Japanese borrowed the Chinese word as "momo" (桃), maintaining the Asian linguistic connection.
The color name "peach" emerged in English by 1588, predating many fruit-based color terms. This shows how quickly the fruit became a cultural reference point. "Peachy" as an adjective meaning "excellent" appeared by 1900, while "peachy keen" peaked in 1950s American slang. The fruit's linguistic productivity—generating colors, adjectives, and metaphors—demonstrates its deep cultural integration.
In Chinese culture, peaches symbolize immortality and longevity. The mythical Peaches of Immortality grow in the garden of Xi Wangmu, the Queen Mother of the West, ripening only once every 3,000 years. Eating these divine peaches grants eternal life. Birthday celebrations often feature peach-shaped buns (shoutao), and peach wood traditionally wards off evil spirits. The phrase "peach blossom luck" refers to romantic fortune.
Peaches appear throughout Western art as symbols of truth, virtue, and sensuality. Renaissance paintings often included peaches to represent heart's honesty—when split open, the fruit reveals its core. In literature, from Shakespeare to modern poetry, peaches evoke summer, youth, and fleeting beauty. The fruit's fuzzy skin and blushing colors made it a Victorian symbol of modesty and virginity.
Georgia's identity as the "Peach State" began in the 1860s when peach cultivation replaced cotton destroyed by the Civil War. Though California now produces more peaches, Georgia peaches maintain their reputation for superior flavor due to the state's climate. The peach became symbolic of Southern hospitality, sweetness, and agricultural rebirth. Atlanta's streets bear names like Peachtree, and the fruit appears on the state quarter.
The peach emoji transformed modern digital communication, often representing more than fruit. Princess Peach from Nintendo's Mario franchise became gaming's most recognizable royal. The color "millennial pink" often gets called "peach" in fashion. From Roald Dahl's "James and the Giant Peach" to the film "Call Me By Your Name," peaches maintain symbolic power in contemporary storytelling, representing transformation, desire, and summer's ephemeral pleasures.
Plural Form
peaches
Fresh peaches filled the basket.
Adjective Form
peachy
Everything's peachy keen!
Verb Form (slang)
peached
He peached on his accomplices.
Comparative
peachier
Life got peachier after graduation.
Related Terms
Perfect complexion; dessert
Classic Southern dessert
Summer dessert favorite
Canned fruit spread
"The farmer's market overflowed with ripe peaches, their sweet aroma drawing customers to sample the season's first harvest of the beloved stone fruit."
"She bit into the peach and juice ran down her chin, the perfect sweetness of summer captured in that single moment of sticky, golden pleasure."
"My grandmother's peach cobbler recipe, passed down through four generations, requires exactly six perfectly ripe peaches—no more, no less."
"You're a real peach for helping me move all this furniture—I couldn't have done it without your generous assistance."
"He peached on the whole gang to avoid jail time, breaking the criminal code of silence that had protected them for years."
"Life isn't always peachy keen, but finding joy in small moments makes the difficult times more bearable."
"Playing PEACH across a triple letter score on the H gave me 24 points, setting up my next play perfectly."
"I held onto the letters hoping to spell PEACHES for the 50-point bingo bonus, but had to settle for PEACH instead."
Total base points: 12 (Scrabble)
Vowels: 2 (E, A) | Consonants: 3 (P, C, H)
High-value letters: P (3), C (3), H (4) = 10 pts combined
Letter combinations with PEACH:
💡 Tip: The -EACH ending is golden for parallel plays!
Selecting Peaches
Smell for sweetness; gentle give when pressed
Ripening
Paper bag with banana speeds ripening
Storage
Refrigerate ripe peaches; use within 5 days
APRICOT
Related stone fruit
PLUM
Another stone fruit
NECTARINE
Smooth-skinned peach
CHERRY
Small stone fruit
MANGO
Tropical stone fruit
FRUIT
General category
High-scoring words sharing the -EACH pattern in Scrabble
Practice unscrambling letters to find more high-scoring words like PEACH