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berry

noun
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ber·​ry | \ ˈber-ē How to pronounce berry (audio) , ˈbe-rē \
plural berries

Definition of berry

 (Entry 1 of 3)

1a : 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

verb
berried; berrying

Definition of berry (Entry 2 of 3)

intransitive verb

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

Berry

geographical name
Ber·​ry | \ be-ˈrē How to pronounce Berry (audio) \

Definition of Berry (Entry 3 of 3)

former province of central France; capital Bourges

Examples of berry in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun Explorer Batch is the first coffee to be introduced in Dunkin's Limited Batch Series and is a medium roast with dark berry notes and a smoky finish. — Kelly Tyko, USA TODAY, "Dunkin' releasing new Extra Charged Coffee with 20% more caffeine, Dunkfetti Donut before 2021," 30 Dec. 2020 Spark up your holiday meal or gift-giving list with chutneys ($12) made by Heather Jansz, including cranberry-ginger, date-lime, ginger-plum and Aronia berry. — Rick Nelson, Star Tribune, "These Twin Cities restaurants are offering Christmas takeout meals," 7 Dec. 2020 The Longitude Blanc de Blancs is full of just-ripe red berry notes, earthy undertones and pointed minerality. — Céline Bossart, NBC News, "The 5 best champagnes of 2020 to celebrate New Year's Eve," 22 Dec. 2020 Hot pinks, fiery corals, berry, and wine-toned blushes work best for the melanin-rich. — Nykia Spradley, Allure, "17 Gorgeous Blushes That Show Up and Show Out On Deeper Skin Tones," 21 Dec. 2020 Makeup artist Ali inspired followers with her sunset-in-winter-inspired beauty look equipped with coral and aquatic tones on the eyes and a glossy berry lip. — Akili King, Vogue, "The Best Beauty Instagrams of the Week: Arlenis Sosa, Keke Palmer, and More," 13 Dec. 2020 This pack offers four honey varieties: clover, wildflower, orange blossom, and berry. — Sarah Vincelette, USA TODAY, "25 thoughtful get-well-soon gifts to send to loved ones," 9 Dec. 2020 California pinot noir that explodes with red berry flavors and has a long, lingering finish. — Elin Mccoy, Bloomberg.com, "The 50 Best Wines Under $50," 7 Dec. 2020 The Duchess of Sussex wore a berry lip with a deep smoky eye. — Emily Dixon, Marie Claire, "Meghan Markle Debuted a Bold New Makeup Look That's Perfect for Fall," 12 Oct. 2020 Recent Examples on the Web: Verb The top comes in five colors, ranging from a neutral charcoal gray to emerald and berry pink. — Lindsey Vickers, USA TODAY, "Black Friday 2020: The best Nike, Under Armour and Adidas deals right now," 28 Nov. 2020 This set at Nordstrom comes with five delicious fragrances including the exact one that Meghan used at her nuptials (the Baies berry scent) along with wood fire, roses, fig tree, and more. — Amanda Tarlton, USA TODAY, "10 things Meghan Markle loves to shop at the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale," 10 Aug. 2020 Hogback tickets, the currency at the Colorado BBQ Challenge, can be purchased at booths across the festival and are good for everything from beer (man, hitting straight for dad’s heart with this gift) to BBQ to berry kabobs. — Erica Boniface, The Know, "10 cool places to take dad in Colorado this Father’s Day," 7 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'berry.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of berry

Noun

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

Verb

circa 1780, in the meaning defined at sense 1

History and Etymology for berry

Noun

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

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Time Traveler for berry

Time Traveler

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

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Statistics for berry

Last Updated

17 Jan 2021

Cite this Entry

“Berry.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/berry. Accessed 27 Jan. 2021.

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More Definitions for berry

berry

noun
How to pronounce Berry (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of berry

: a small fruit (such as a strawberry, blueberry, or raspberry) that has many small seeds

See the full definition for berry in the English Language Learners Dictionary

berry

noun
ber·​ry | \ ˈber-ē How to pronounce berry (audio) \
plural berries

Kids Definition of berry

1 : a small juicy and usually edible fruit (as a strawberry)
2 : a fruit (as a grape or tomato) in which the ripened ovary wall is fleshy
3 : a dry seed (as of the coffee plant)

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More from Merriam-Webster on berry

Nglish: Translation of berry for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of berry for Arabic Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about berry

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