The word
pineapple in English was first recorded in 1398, when it was originally used to describe the reproductive organs of conifer trees (now termed
pine cones). When European explorers discovered this tropical fruit, they called them
pineapples (term first recorded in that sense in 1664) because of their resemblance to what is now known as the pine cone. The term
pine cone was first recorded in 1694 and was used to replace the original meaning of
pineapple.
[3]
reference:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pineapples