cranberry

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

noun

plural

cranberries 

1. 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.

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

cranberry

/ -brɪ, ˈkrænbərɪ /

noun

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

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of cranberry¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of cranberry¹

C17: from Low German kraanbere, from kraan _crane + bere _berry

Example Sentences

Stack ladyfingers with whole-berry cranberry sauce, vanilla pudding, and whipped cream flecked with a decidedly ungodly amount of orange zest.

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Observers typically indulge in a hearty meal with staples such as turkey, stuffing, and cranberry sauce.

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I think people who don’t like cranberry sauce just haven’t had one worth their while yet.

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It’s made with finely chopped cranberries and California Valencia oranges that are both sweetened with cane sugar.

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So are saccharine dishes like the cranberry orange relish that Michael Donnelly-Boylen sweetened with long pours of sugar into a food processor.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal