"Adam's apple" is a figurative expression that is usually used to refer to the protruding part of a man's neck. However, this phrase has other meanings.
Kadik
"Adam's apple" is a figurative synonym for the more common word "Adam's apple". Both of these terms are used to refer to a process of cartilaginous tissue located at the front of the neck. In anatomy, it is called the thyroid cartilage and is one of the largest parts that make up the structure of the human larynx.
The protrusion itself, visible on the neck, consists of two cartilaginous plates located at an angle to each other. Moreover, all people have such plates, regardless of their gender and age. However, the nature of their location differs somewhat depending on these characteristics: for example, children and women have a large angle between these cartilages, which makes the resulting structure less noticeable on the neck. In men, the angle between the cartilaginous plates is smaller, so they are more pronounced on the neck.
According to experts in the field of linguistics, the figurative expression "Adam's apple", used to refer to this cartilage, has its roots in biblical mythology. According to legend, Eve, by her persuasions, forced Adam to bite off a piece of the fruit from the tree of paradise, but Adam was well aware that he was doing something forbidden, so the bitten piece got stuck in his throat. As a result, all descendants of Adam received such a mark on their bodies, reminiscent of the fall of his ancestor.
The fruit
At the same time, in the Russian language there is another meaning of the phrase "Adam's apple", which is more connected with the direct meaning of this expression. It really is a fruit - the fruit of a tree belonging to the mulberry family, which is also sometimes called the Indian or Chinese orange.
Not too widespread of this meaning of the expression "Adam's apple" is probably due to the fact that this fruit is poisonous, and therefore should not be eaten. In addition, the tree that produces such fruits grows only in the southernmost regions of Russia - in some parts of the Crimea, in the Krasnodar and Stavropol Territories.
However, in these regions and other areas where the tree that bears "Adam's apples" grows, it is cultivated as an ornamental culture. Indeed, the fruits of this tree, which is called "maklura", are quite beautiful, and the tree itself easily multiplies and grows, forming vast green spaces. In addition, in a number of foreign countries, maklura fruits are used as raw materials for the production of medicines.
