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Date

Food And Drink
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

A sweet dried fruit associated with deserts, hospitality, and stored nourishment. It can symbolize endurance, richness, and ancient trade.

Detailed Definition
In poetry, dates can carry the atmosphere of oasis palms, caravan routes, and hands offering food to a guest. Their wrinkled skins and dense sweetness make them fitting images for age, preservation, and richness gathered over time. A date may also evoke religious observance, festive meals, or the simple act of breaking a fast. Because it survives long journeys, the fruit can symbolize memory carried across distance, as well as sustenance offered in harsh landscapes.
Example
Example in poetry:
“The dates hung like small suns above the market stall” uses the fruit to create warmth and abundance; A poet can use a date stone in an empty palm as an image of sweetness already consumed; “We broke our fast with dates and water” gives a meal ritual emotional and spiritual weight; Comparing a beloved’s voice to “dark dates steeped in honey” combines sound, color, and taste
Additional Notes
Dates can create imagery of oasis life, caravan trade, and hospitality; their wrinkled sweetness also suits themes of endurance and stored energy.
Other Meanings of “Date”
Also Known As
Date Fruit
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