grape

American  

[greyp] / greɪp /

noun

1. the edible, pulpy, smooth-skinned berry or fruit that grows in clusters on vines of the genus Vitis, and from which wine is made.

2. any vine bearing this fruit.

3. a dull, dark, purplish-red color.

4. (used with a singular verb) grapes,

   1. tuberculosis occurring in cattle, characterized by the internal formation of grapelike clusters, especially in the lungs.

   2. tuberculosis occurring in horses, characterized by grapelike clusters on the fetlocks.

5. grapeshot.

6. the grape, wine.

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grape British  

/ ɡreɪp /

noun

1. the fruit of the grapevine, which has a purple or green skin and sweet flesh: eaten raw, dried to make raisins, currants, or sultanas, or used for making wine

2. any of various plants that bear grapelike fruit, such as the Oregon grape

3. See grapevine

4. an informal term for wine

5. See grapeshot

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grape Idioms  

1. see sour grapes.

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Other Word Forms

• grapeless adjective
• grapelike adjective

Etymology

Origin of grape

1200–50; Middle English < Old French, variant of crape cluster of fruit or flowers, originally hook (for pruning vines) < Germanic; compare German Krapf hook and grapple ( def. ), grapnel

Explanation

A grape is a small, sweet fruit that grows in clusters on a vine. Most grapes are either purple or green, and they make a delicious addition to a fruit salad. Though grapes naturally contain tiny seeds, many varieties of so-called "table grapes" are bred to be seedless, so you can pop one grape after another in your mouth. Dried grapes are known as raisins, and this versatile berry is used to make many other products, including jelly, juice, and wine. Experts believe the word grape comes from an Old French verb, graper, "catch with a hook" or "pick grapes off the vine."

Example Sentences

Also blooming now: goldfields, purple grape soda lupine and owl’s clover.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 26, 2026

McMullen is trying to cut down on costs by hiring fewer workers, which means he personally performs more intense physical labor such as cleaning grape storage bins in 100-degree heat.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 24, 2026

The bright yellow desert gold is currently one of the most prominent flowers on display, alongside brown-eyed primrose, grape soda lupine and desert star.

From BBC • Mar. 10, 2026

French President Emmanuel Macron visited the show on Monday, where he insisted that ripping up unprofitable grape vines was a necessary part of revitalising the flagging wine sector.

From Barron's • Feb. 10, 2026

Micah chokes on his Manischewitz grape juice and covers his mouth so it doesn’t spray all over Mrs. Gruver, our Hebrew-school principal.

From "A Place at the Table" by Saadia Faruqi and Laura Shovan