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
Noun
Asparagus, figs, and all sorts of berries — blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries — are inexpensive and plentiful. Janet Blaser, Contributor, CNBC, 21 Sep. 2024 Nova is matured in red wine barrels, offering vibrant flavors of berries, spice, and oak, with a fruity aroma and a soft, lingering finish. Joseph V Micallef, Forbes, 18 Sep. 2024 For non-alcoholic drinks, Watching the Wheel is berry lemonade made with uji tea and topped off with a chocolate donut. Susmita Baral, Travel + Leisure, 10 Sep. 2024 Much like the wild berries, the town has been cared for by generations who have sought to preserve a quieter way of life that is increasingly hard to find elsewhere. Karissa Waddick, USA TODAY, 15 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for berry 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'berry.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Dictionary Entries Near berry

Cite this Entry

“Berry.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/berry. Accessed 5 Oct. 2024.

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

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