berry

1 of 2

noun

ber·​ry ˈber-ē How to pronounce berry (audio)
ˈbe-rē
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Garnish with a slice of citrus, herbs, olives, or berries—and cheers! Amy Brightfield, Better Homes & Gardens, 29 June 2025 Burn After Reading delivers Pitt in rare form: a bumbling blockhead who loves berry blast smoothies and sports an iPod strapped to his arm. Derek Scancarelli, EW.com, 27 June 2025 For example, juniper berries and blueberries are both blue, but their ancestors may have developed that coloration separately. Molly Herring, Quanta Magazine, 27 June 2025 Here are two options for a mixed berry pie: a traditional round pie with a crunchy crumble top, and a slab pie, which is a relatively new invention, made in a sheet pan. Carolynn Carreño, Los Angeles Times, 26 June 2025 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 6 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

berry

1 of 2 noun
ber·​ry ˈber-ē How to pronounce berry (audio)
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

Ber·​ry be-ˈrē How to pronounce Berry (audio)
former province of central France; capital Bourges

More from Merriam-Webster on berry

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!