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

With the latter, one highlight is the Clarified Cosmopolitan, a classic cocktail with Grey Goose Vodka, Cointreau, cranberry, and lime, which is then purified with milk for 24 hours, doubled filtered and served in a martini glass rinsed with Strega liqueur and finished with a long lemon twist. —Ben Crandell, Sun Sentinel, 3 July 2025

And the berries are loaded with antioxidants, more so than in strawberries or cranberries, which are healthy for you. —Gary Stern, Forbes.com, 22 Apr. 2025

This delightful Pinot Noir is made with grapes grown in the Fort Ross-Seaview AVA and offers aromas of red raspberry, red currant, and cranberry. —Mike Desimone and Jeff Jenssen, Robb Report, 4 Apr. 2025

Place the broccoli, onion and cranberries into a large bowl. —Beth Dooley, Boston Herald, 25 June 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