cranberry

[ kran-ber-ee, -buh-ree ]

/ ˈkrænˌbɛr i, -bə ri /

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noun, plural cran·ber·ries.

the red, acid fruit or berry of certain plants of the genus Vaccinium, of the heath family, as V. macrocarpon(large cranberry, or American cranberry ) or V. oxycoccus(small cranberry, or European cranberry ), used in making sauce, relish, jelly, or juice.

the plant itself, growing wild in bogs or cultivated in acid soils, especially in the northeastern U.S.

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Origin of cranberry

An Americanism dating back to 1640–50; from Low German kraanbere; see crane, berry

Words nearby cranberry

cramp someone's style, cram school, cran, Cranach, cranage, cranberry, cranberry bog, cranberry bush, cranberry glass, cranberry gourd, cranberry tree

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use cranberry in a sentence

Into the enchilada pie, I piled cooked cranberry beans, sweet potatoes, and lots of shredded turkey.
20 Days of Turkey|Meghan McCarron|December 23, 2020|Eater
It carries bright flavors of raspberry and cranberry with a slight herbal finish.
Give your holidays some sparkle with these well-priced bubbles|Dave McIntyre|December 11, 2020|Washington Post
Add the bread and cranberries and, using a flexible spatula, stir until the bread absorbs most of the custard.
Instant Pot delivers the silkiest bread pudding we’ve ever tried|Jessie Sheehan|December 11, 2020|Washington Post
Toss in the dried cranberries and crystallized ginger and transfer to an airtight container.
Homemade granola, with cranberry and ginger, is baked into my winter routine|Ellie Krieger|December 10, 2020|Washington Post

You’ll do fine on a comfortable little skateboard like Penny’s, in cranberry red no less.
10 TikTok-inspired gifts to help your friends follow trends|Purbita Saha|December 8, 2020|Popular-Science
Preheat the oven to 450°F. Soak the cranberries in ¾ cup cranberry juice for 15 minutes.
Make Carla Hall’s Roasted Pork Loin With Cranberries|Carla Hall|December 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Once hot, add the shallots, apples, cranberries, and remaining cranberry juice to the pan.
Make Carla Hall’s Roasted Pork Loin With Cranberries|Carla Hall|December 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
And thank you, USDA Cranberry Market Loss Assistance Program, for the cranberry sauce.
Up to a Point: Thanks to the Biggest Turkey, Uncle Sam|P. J. O’Rourke|November 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Imagine President Obama passing the cranberry sauce, and a word of thanks, to Speaker of the House John Boehner.
A U.S. Thanksgiving—Family Style: Fractious but Friendly|Joshua DuBois|November 24, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Cranberry sauce should be sweet but not cloying, and tart without causing pucker and anguish.
Sam Sifton’s Thanksgiving Recipes|Sam Sifton|November 20, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Yet the woods are filled with a great variety of wild berries, among which the cranberry and swampberry are considered the best.
Hudson Bay|R.M. Ballantyne
It must have been about this time that Bill made the first ox yokes out of cranberry wood.
The Marvelous Exploits of Paul Bunyan|W. B. Laughead
It may be used in place of the cranberry jelly and will be found to be a delightful change.
Woman's Institute Library of Cookery, Vol. 4|Woman's Institute of Domestic Arts and Sciences
He lived at the lower end of the village, was well to do, a leading cranberry grower, and very prominent in the church.
Cy Whittaker's Place|Joseph C. Lincoln
At eight o'clock in the evening we came to Cranberry River and encamped, having, by their estimation, come twenty-three miles.
Summary Narrative of an Exploratory Expedition to the Sources of the Mississippi River, in 1820|Henry Rowe Schoolcraft

British Dictionary definitions for cranberry

cranberry

/ (ˈkrænbərɪ, -brɪ) /

noun plural -ries

any of several trailing ericaceous shrubs of the genus Vaccinium, such as the European V. oxycoccus, that bear sour edible red berries

the berry of this plant, used to make sauce or jelly

Word Origin for cranberry

C17: from Low German kraanbere, from kraan crane + bere berry

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012