berry

1 of 2

noun

plural berries
1
a
: a pulpy and usually edible fruit (such as a strawberry, raspberry, or checkerberry) of small size irrespective of its structure
b
: a simple fruit (such as a grape, blueberry, tomato, or cucumber) with a pulpy or fleshy pericarp
c
: the dry seed of some plants (such as wheat)
2
: an egg of a fish or lobster

berry

2 of 2

verb

berried; berrying

intransitive verb

1
: to bear or produce berries
a berrying shrub
2
: to gather or seek berries

Examples of berry in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Noun
Franny, inspired by warm chestnut Resilience; Elwell, inspired by soft neutral pink Encourage; Millie, inspired by true rose Worth; Gillian, inspired by nude mauve Hope; and Albie, inspired by deep berry Faith. — Arushi Jacob, Footwear News, 5 Nov. 2026 Through the spring and summer the forest in this mountain backcountry had been blessed with abundant rainfall and the wild creatures were busy reaping the berries, seeds and other browse. — Charles Elliott, Outdoor Life, 5 Nov. 2026 Dole also closed an Oxnard berry cooling facility and scaled back its operations there. — Ella Chakarian, Los Angeles Times, 5 Nov. 2026 These tiny berries are packed with antioxidants, fiber, vitamins, and minerals—which support several aspects of your health, from your gut to your heart. — Lindsey Desoto, HEALTH, 5 Nov. 2026 See All Example Sentences for berry

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English berye, from Old English berie; akin to Old High German beri berry

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

circa 1780, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of berry was before the 12th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Berry.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/berry. Accessed 7 Nov. 2026.

Kids Definition

berry

1 of 2 noun
plural berries
1
: a small pulpy and usually edible fruit (as a strawberry or raspberry)
2
: a fruit (as a grape, blueberry, tomato, or cucumber) that develops from a single ovary and has the wall of the ripened ovary pulpy
3
: the dry seed of some plants (as coffee)
berrylike
-ē-ˌlīk
adjective

berry

2 of 2 verb
berried; berrying
1
: to bear or produce berries
2
: to gather or look for berries
go berrying

Geographical Definition

Berry

geographical name

former province of central France; capital Bourges

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