c. 1300, poumgarnet (a metathesized form), "the large, roundish, many-seeded, red-pulped fruit of the pomegranate tree," from Old French pome grenate (Modern French grenade) and directly from Medieval Latin pomum granatum, literally "apple with many seeds," from pome "apple; fruit" (see Pomona) + grenate "having grains," from Latin granata, fem. of granatus, from granum "grain" (from PIE root *gre-no- "grain").

The classical Latin name was mālum granatum "seeded apple" or mālum Punicum "Punic apple." Italian form is granata, Spanish is granada. The -gra- spelling was restored in English early 15c. Of the tree itself from late 14c.

"small explosive shell," thrown rather than discharged from a cannon, 1590s, earlier "pomegranate" (1520s), from French grenade "pomegranate" (16c.), earlier grenate (12c.), from Old French pomegrenate (see pomegranate). Form influenced by Spanish granada. So called because the many-seeded fruit suggested the powder-filled, fragmenting bomb, or from similarities of shape. See pomegranate. Much used late 17c., they went out of use 18c. but were revived 20c.

"syrup made from pomegranates," 1896, from French sirop de grenadin from grenade "pomegranate" (see pomegranate). The type of thin silk fabric, so called from 1851, probably is from Grenada.

mid-15c., metathesized form of gernet "the gem garnet" (early 14c.), from Old French grenate, gernatte, granate "garnet," also an adjective, "of a dark red color," from Medieval Latin granatum "garnet; of dark red color," perhaps abstracted from the Medieval Latin or Old French words for pomegranate, from the stone's resemblance either to the shape of the seeds or the color of the pulp. Or the word might be from Medieval Latin granum "grain," in its sense of "cochineal, red dye." A widespread word: Spanish and Portuguese granate, Italian granato, Dutch granaat, German Granat.

also balluster, "support for a railing" (commonly one that swells outward at some point), c. 1600, from French balustre (16c.), from Italian balaustro "small pillar," said to be from balausta "flower of the wild pomegranate," from Greek balaustion (which is perhaps of Semitic origin; compare Aramaic balatz "flower of the wild pomegranate"). The uprights had lyre-like double curves, which resembled the half-opened pomegranate flower.

late 14c., pin-appel, "pine cone," from pine (n.) + apple. The reference to the fruit of the tropical plant (from resemblance of shape) is recorded by 1660s, and pine-cone emerged 1690s to replace pineapple in its original sense except in dialect. For "pine-cone," Old English also used pinhnyte "pine nut." Pine-apple also was used in a late 14c. Biblical translation for "pomegranate."

word-forming element meaning "iron," used since late 18c. in medical terms and mineral names, from Greek sidēros "iron," which is of unknown origin. Beekes writes that "The Greeks got to know iron from Asia Minor, the Pontus and Caucasus, and it is likely that they took over the word for it from these areas as well." He points to resemblance to Udian (Caucasian) zido "iron."

He also mentions other theories: that the Greek word originally referred to meteoric iron, and is derived from Latin sidus "constellation;" that it refers to the redness of the metal and is related to sidē "pomegranate" or that it is connected to words for "silver" (such as Lithuanian sidābras).