cranberry

noun cran·ber·ry \ ˈkran-ˌber-ē , -ˌbe-rē , -b(ə-)rē \

Updated on: 11 Apr 2018

Definition of cranberry

1 : the red acid berry produced by some plants (such as Vaccinium oxycoccos and V. macrocarpon) of the heath family; also : a plant producing these

2 : any of various plants with a fruit that resembles a cranberry

3 : a dark red

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Recent Examples of cranberry from the Web

The oatmeal, cranberry, coconut and apricot cookies used to come topped with a Hershey bar.

— shonda talerico dudlicek, Lake County News-Sun, "Clucker's menu is all about chicken," 26 Mar. 2018
One such item will be the Sea Breeze cocktail, made with Pepsi's new Bubly Grapefruit flavored sparking water, cranberry juice and vodka.

— ann maloney, NOLA.com, "A sneak peek at French Quarter Fest's 2018 food," 4 Dec. 2017
The European Union on Friday published a 10-page retaliation plan with American products ranging from bourbon to cranberries, orange juice, steel, motorcycles and denim.

— william mauldin, WSJ, "U.S. Outlines Rules for Metal-Using Companies Seeking Tariff Exclusions," 16 Mar. 2018
Lentils, cranberries, pistachios, and fresh herbs complete the dish.

— sally pasley vargas, BostonGlobe.com, "Recipe: Pureed cauliflower becomes ‘rice’ in a colorful biryani," 13 Mar. 2018
Considerably more delicate than your average California GSM, the 2015 wine broods, showing bright red fruit flavors of cranberry, pomegranate and red currant, underscored by a quieter gamey side.

— esther mobley, San Francisco Chronicle, "Tasting Notes: Your guide to the wines of Edmunds St. John," 12 Mar. 2018
Aged more than a year in oak barrels, this lively wine offered blackberry, cranberry, green pepper, cola, chocolate, vanilla and herbs.

— michael austin, chicagotribune.com, "9 Chilean cabernets catch you up on what's been happening with country's iconic wine," 24 Jan. 2018
This would come from a new E.U. 25 percent tariff on the same, $3.4 billion amount of U.S. exports of products like cranberries, Harley Davidson motorcycles, blue jeans and bourbon.

— chad p. bown, Washington Post, "Europe is pushing back against Trump’s steel and aluminum tariffs. Here’s how.," 9 Mar. 2018
First, the effects of a century’s worth of cranberry farming had to be confronted.

— thomas farragher, BostonGlobe.com, "With new wildlife sanctuary in Plymouth, nature regains 480 acres," 9 Mar. 2018

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

Origin and Etymology of cranberry

partial translation of Low German kraanbere, from kraan crane + bere berry

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First Known Use: 1647

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CRANBERRY Defined for English Language Learners

cranberry

noun

Definition of cranberry for English Language Learners

: a small, dark red berry or the plant that produces it
: a dark red color

CRANBERRY Defined for Kids

cranberry

noun cran·ber·ry \ ˈkran-ˌber-ē \

Definition of cranberry for Students

plural cranberries

: a sour bright red berry that is eaten in sauces and jelly and is the fruit of an evergreen swamp plant related to the blueberries

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See words that rhyme with cranberry Spanish Central: Translation of cranberry Nglish: Translation of cranberry for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of cranberry for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about cranberry

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cranberry

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cranberry

Definition of cranberry for English Language Learners

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cranberry

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