raisin

American  

[rey-zin] / ˈreɪ zɪn /

noun

• raisins
  plural

1. a grape of any of various sweet varieties dried in the sun or by artificial means, often used in cooking.

2. dark purplish blue.

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raisin British  

/ ˈreɪzən /

noun

1. a dried grape

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• raisiny
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• raisins
  plural

Etymology

Origin of raisin

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English raisin, reisin, from Old French, from unattested Vulgar Latin racīmus, for Latin racēmus; see raceme

Explanation

A raisin is a dehydrated or sun-dried grape. Raisins are sweet and chewy, and they're often found in oatmeal cookies and granola. Raisins are one of the most common kind of dried fruit — they turn up everywhere from a preschooler's snack box to a fancy bakery's scones and cinnamon rolls. The most common way to make a raisin is to dry grapes in the sun, though it's quicker for producers to use dehydrating machines. The word raisin dates to the thirteenth century, from the Latin racemus, which means "cluster of grapes or berries."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

raisin raisins

Jacobsen, an almond and raisin grape grower, tracked his chill hours carefully all winter.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 29, 2026

For example, the Supreme Court has held that a federal regulation requiring a raisin farmer to destroy a portion of his crop is a per se taking.

From Slate ● Feb. 4, 2026

There I was, standing in front of a counter full of various flavors — caramel, cheese cake, carrot cake, rum & raisin.

From Salon ● Jan. 10, 2026

A toddler who suffered sinus pain and lethargy for three months was found to have a raisin stuck up her nose.

From BBC ● Jun. 3, 2024

When Molly comes into the living room with her raisin bran, she looks up and frowns.

From "Orphan Train" by Christina Baker Kline

She sat on the ground on a thin cushion fashioned from some clothes, with small sacks of cashews, almonds, raisins, walnuts and dried figs placed in front.

From BBC ● Jun. 15, 2026

Three Iranian men pressed rehydrated raisins at an artisan distillery just outside New York, thousands of miles from their war-struck homeland.

From Barron's ● May 2, 2026

Cooling, yes, but also connective — pulling together the richness of the pork, the sweetness of the raisins, the brightness of the herbs into something that feels cohesive, complete.

From Salon ● Apr. 10, 2026

Relax: A blend of raisins and some crystallized ginger will tick similar flavor boxes.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 8, 2026

The rock cakes were shapeless lumps with raisins that almost broke their teeth, but Harry and Ron pretended to be enjoying them as they told Hagrid all about their first lessons.

From "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" by J.K. Rowling