cranberry

noun

cran·​ber·​ry ˈkran-ˌber-ē 

-ˌbe-rē,

-b(ə-)rē

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

Examples of cranberry in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Give classic cranberry sauce a makeover with orangey zest and a bit of spice. —Lisa Cericola, Southern Living, 26 Oct. 2025

There will also be a new holiday drink — the holly jolly sparkler holiday beverage, made with cranberry, lime and Sprite. —Helena Wegner, Miami Herald, 22 Oct. 2025

The series centered around celebrity guests stopping by their kitchen and learning how to make dishes such as margarita pretzel bars, bread pudding and cranberry turkey chili in short video segments. —Audrey Schmidt, PEOPLE, 21 Oct. 2025

In the United Kingdom, a red drink is expected to be cherry or strawberry while in Thailand, it is expected to be cranberry, Alan said. —Betty Lin-Fisher, USA Today, 21 Oct. 2025

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

1647, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing cranberry

• cranberry bush
• highbush cranberry
• mountain cranberry

Rhymes for cranberry

• askari
• astbury
• azeri
• banbury
• barberry
• blackberry
• blueberry
• canary
• dentary
• dewberry
• dogberry
• equerry

Kids Definition

cranberry

noun

cran·​ber·​ry ˈkran-ˌber-ē 

-b(ə-)rē

: the bright red sour berry of any of several trailing plants related to the blueberry

also : a plant producing these