raisin

American  

[rey-zin] / ˈreɪ zɪn /

noun

1. a grape of any of various sweet varieties dried in the sun or by artificial means, often used in cooking.

2. dark purplish blue.

---

raisin British  

/ ˈreɪzən /

noun

1. a dried grape

---

Other Word Forms

• raisiny adjective

Etymology

Origin of raisin

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English raisin, reisin, from Old French, from unattested Vulgar Latin racīmus, for Latin racēmus; raceme

Example Sentences

One stall sold slices of mangoes brought in from Jazan, the fertile southern province famous for its tropical fruits, wheat and coffee; others sold raisins, spices, nuts and gourmet honey from Yemen.

From Los Angeles Times

Wittgenstein’s aphorisms sparkle, but he recognized he overused them, admitting that “raisins may be the best part of a cake; but a bag of raisins is not better than a cake.”

From The Wall Street Journal

The sweet-and-savory notes of the ground beef, raisins and olives in the picadillo mingle with the fries, making each bite a little adventure.

From Salon

“What we eat says a lot about our identity. Caviar is posh. Rum raisin ice cream is for old people. Mormons love dirty sodas,” Goodspeed said.

From Salon

I'm sceptical when she tells me to hold a raisin and look, feel, smell, listen and - eventually - put it in my mouth.

From BBC