merlot

noun

mer·​lot mer-ˈlō 

mər-

variants often Merlot

: a full-bodied red wine that is known for its velvety texture, that is produced most prominently in Bordeaux and California, and that is often blended with cabernet sauvignon

also : the grape itself

Examples of merlot in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

For years the Rosso was treated as the baby brother of the heavyweight Sagrantino di Montefalco, a way of softening that grape's formidable tannin by blending it with Sangiovese, and sometimes a little Merlot, into something more accessible. —Paul Caputo, Forbes.com, 31 May 2026

Our country may be heading into tougher economic times, but these music lovers plan to face them with brand new BottleRock hats on their heads, glasses of merlot in their hands and earfuls of the Backstreet Boys and Slightly Stoopid. —Jim Harrington, Mercury News, 23 May 2026

Riva Beach Club Sip an Aperol spritz or a glass of Swiss merlot after a leisurely lake swim at Riva Beach Club, a boutique hotel whose beachside access in Vira—the historical center of Gambarogno—is hard to beat. —Lisa Kadane, Travel + Leisure, 1 May 2026

The Pakistani mill showed new sulfur dyes like aged merlot and graphite green, and fabrics with brown and blue wefts. —Angela Velasquez, Footwear News, 22 Apr. 2026

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from French, from merle "blackbird (Turdus merula)" + -ot, noun suffix, here diminutive (going back to Vulgar Latin *-ottus, variant of Latin -ittus, diminutive suffix); presumably named from the grape's color — more at merle entry 1

First Known Use

1926, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for merlot

• acknow
• aglow
• ago
• airglow
• aloe
• altho
• although
• ammo
• backflow
• backhoe
• banjo
• barbeau