berry

¹ American  

[ber-ee] / ˈbɛr i /

noun

plural

berries

1. any small, usually stoneless, juicy fruit, irrespective of botanical structure, as the huckleberry, strawberry, or hackberry.

2. Botany. a simple fruit having a pulpy pericarp in which the seeds are embedded, as the grape, gooseberry, currant, or tomato.

3. a dry seed or kernel, as of wheat.

4. the hip of the rose.

5. one of the eggs of a lobster, crayfish, etc.

6. Older Slang. the berries, someone or something very attractive or unusual.

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verb (used without object)

berried, berrying

1. to gather or pick berries.

   We went berrying this morning.

2. to bear or produce berries.

Berry ² American  

[ber-ee, be-ree] / ˈbɛr i, bɛˈri /

noun

1. Charles Edward Anderson Chuck, 1926–2017, U.S. rock-'n'-roll singer, musician, and composer.

2. Also Berri. a former province in central France.

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berry ¹ British  

/ ˈbɛrɪ /

noun

1. any of various small edible fruits such as the blackberry and strawberry

2. botany an indehiscent fruit with two or more seeds and a fleshy pericarp, such as the grape or gooseberry

3. any of various seeds or dried kernels, such as a coffee bean

4. the egg of a lobster, crayfish, or similar animal

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verb

1. to bear or produce berries

2. to gather or look for berries

Berry ² British  

noun

1. Chuck , full name Charles Edward Berry . born 1926, US rock-and-roll guitarist, singer, and songwriter. His frequently covered songs include "Maybellene" (1955), "Roll Over Beethoven" (1956), "Johnny B. Goode" (1958), "Memphis, Tennessee" (1959), and "Promised Land" (1964)

2. Jean de France (ʒɑ̃ də frɑ̃s), Duc de. 1340–1416, French prince, son of King John II; coregent (1380–88) for Charles VI and a famous patron of the arts

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berry Scientific  

/ bĕr′ē /

1. A simple fruit that has many seeds in a fleshy pulp. Grapes, bananas, tomatoes, and blueberries are berries.

2. Compare drupe pome See more at simple fruit

3. A seed or dried kernel of certain kinds of grain or other plants such as wheat, barley, or coffee.

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Usage

What does berry mean? A berry is a small, stoneless, juicy fruit.Commonly, a berry is any small fruit that has no pit and usually produces juice. Berries range from sweet, such as the blueberry, to sour, such as the raspberry.In botany, a berry is specifically a fruit with a pulpy outer wall and many seeds. Botanically, then, some fruits commonly thought of as berries are not actually berries, including strawberries, blackberries, and raspberries. Fruits that botanically are berries include blueberries, bananas, grapes, and tomatoes.Less commonly, berry can also refer to a dry seed or kernel.As a verb, to berry means to pick berries or to produce berries.Example: We picked berries today, filling up three whole baskets.

Other Word Forms

• berried adjective
• berryless adjective
• berrylike adjective

Etymology

Origin of berry

before 1000; Middle English berie, Old English beri ( g ) e; cognate with Old Saxon, Old High German beri ( German Beere ), Old Norse ber < Germanic basjá-; akin to Dutch besie, Gothic -basi < Germanic básja-

Example Sentences

Today there were three small berries nestled together at the back of her head.

From Literature

His contribution—detailing an encounter when two souls had arrived at once— used a variety of mediums: berry pulp, bone slivers, feathers, sap.

From Literature

Toyon brings red berries in winter and white flowers in spring, while California sagebrush and Cleveland sage fill the air with an intoxicating perfume.

From Los Angeles Times

“The girls got to pick apples and berries on the first day of orientation. Knowing this group is going to be held within a space like a garden … there’s healing in that.”

From Los Angeles Times

One woman who worked at a berry farm before the steel mill opened told him “as soon as that plant fired up … everything died.”

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• bean
• grain
• kernel