grape

American  

[greyp] / greɪp /

noun

• grapes
  plural

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

Derived Forms

• grapeless
  adjective
• grapelike
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• grapes
  plural

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

See Examples For:

grape grapes

All are hybrids - crossbred varieties created by combining two or more distinct grape species.

From BBC ● Aug. 16, 2026

Now heatwaves are threatening the grape crop and raising costs for the 2026 vintage, he said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026

One is a black biped that has been dubbed Kangaroo, while the Tiago machine is fitted with jointed arms that have been put to use in logistics as well as picking grape harvests.

From Barron's ● Jun. 19, 2026

California’s wine grape industry supports more than 422,000 jobs statewide, according to the CDFA.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 11, 2026

I pop a grape into my mouth and think about how maybe the whole thing was my fault.

From "Please Ignore Vera Dietz" by A.S. King

She says she had been tasked with serving mashed potatoes and grapes to an African gray parrot who had its own trust fund.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 23, 2026

He said grapes are like any other Irish crop "everything really depends on the weather".

From BBC ● Aug. 16, 2026

Millions of pounds of paraquat pesticide are sprayed annually on almonds, grapes, cotton and other crops, primarily in the San Joaquin Valley.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 11, 2026

Some vineyards have been ripping out prized grapes as they sit on unsold bottles.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026

Nor did the baboons return to gather more grapes.

From "A Girl Named Disaster" by Nancy Farmer