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

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

Even though every participant responded differently, researchers observed that grape consumption consistently altered gene expression in all subjects.

From Science Daily ● May 18, 2026

Fireballs are made when larger pieces of debris - more like the size of a grape or an acorn - pass though the atmosphere.

From BBC ● Apr. 21, 2026

In 2016, workers cut down dozens of oaks trees on land managed by Justin to make room for new grape plantings, stirring up controversy.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 27, 2026

He taught me how to eat avocados by melting grape jelly and french dressing together in a saucepan and filling the cup of the pear with the garnet sauce.

From "The Bell Jar" by Sylvia Plath

"It's time to cut off the grapes and there is no one."

From Barron's ● Jul. 26, 2026

Whole fruits included apples, oranges, bananas, mangos, grapes, pears, melons, strawberries and peaches.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 23, 2026

“There’s some sour grapes on both the Democratic and the Republican sides about the way that things ended up playing out,” Wilson said.

From Salon ● Jun. 25, 2026

He flies like an avenging angel, holding a candle in one hand and grapes in the other.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 19, 2026

She held a plate of grapes, apple slices, and fig jam on toast out to me, even though she knew I wasn’t going to eat much of it.

From "Here to Stay" by Sara Farizan