grape

American  

[grayp] / 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

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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

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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

The Delano strike escalated into a national table grape boycott in 1968.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 28, 2026

Hannah Seo investigates why the iconic Concord grape lost its throne.

From Slate ● Oct. 24, 2026

“Yes, there are laws,” said Jesus, his face wrinkled from years of harvesting garlic, pruning grape vines and picking blackberries in the sun-baked San Joaquin Valley.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 24, 2026

Crates stacked at a grape farm in Fresno County.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 24, 2026

Bep presented us Saturday with four bouquets of flowers: three bouquets of daffodils, and one bouquet of grape hyacinths for me.

From "The Diary of a Young Girl" by Anne Frank

But if they had, Medina said, “Dolores just thought I would figure it out and stop those grapes all by myself.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 28, 2026

The union later estimated that 17 million Americans stopped buying grapes during the boycott, as solidarity grew between urban and suburban Americans—often homemakers—and the men and women picking their food up to 3,000 miles away.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 28, 2026

McFARLAND, Calif. — A white SUV drives past fields of grapes and nut trees and pulls to a stop on the dirt shoulder across the highway from a strange tableau:

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 21, 2026

"We're moving on to grapes next year," adds Martin.

From BBC ● Sep. 30, 2026

When the clock strikes twelve, we go through what feels like an obstacle course of traditions: first everyone eats twelve grapes and drinks a cup of homemade cider.

From "Odd One Out" by Nic Stone

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