Merlot

[ mur-loh; French mer-loh ]

/ ˈmɜr loʊ; French mɛrˈloʊ /

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noun

a dark-blue grape used in winemaking, especially in the Bordeaux region of France and in areas of Italy, Switzerland, and California.

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Origin of Merlot

<French: literally, young blackbird, derivative of merlemerle¹, probably alluding to the color of the grape

Words nearby Merlot

merle, Merleau-Ponty, merlin, Merlo, merlon, Merlot, mermaid, mermaid's purse, mermaid's wineglass, Mermaid Tavern, mermaid weed

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use Merlot in a sentence

This Merlot can be aged and be enjoyed for many years to come.
The best wines for Thanksgiving|Rachel King|November 21, 2020|Fortune
I'm greeted there by Betsy and Tina who, sitting behind a folding table, sip discounted merlot out of plastic cups.
Backstage at the Razzie Awards, Honoring Hollywood’s Worst Films|David Eckstein|March 2, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He ordered a glass of Merlot and I gave him, as a gift, the audio version of my memoir for which I had done the reading.
Pablo Schreiber on His New Off-Broadway Play|Kevin Sessums|February 1, 2011|DAILY BEAST
Speaker-to-be John Boehner made it clear he preferred Merlot.
The 2010 Political Dictionary from A to Z|Samuel P. Jacobs|December 12, 2010|DAILY BEAST

Let the lackeys continue to shun Sideways-satirized Merlot.
Five Ways to Drink Bravely|Mark Oldman|October 25, 2010|DAILY BEAST
We had over 175 tons picked and in by September 25, so we only had four small lots of Merlot left when the rains came.
An Old-Fashioned Wine Harvest|Sophie Menin|October 18, 2010|DAILY BEAST
The best Bordeaux wine de ctes is made with the grape called noir de pressac, the bochet, and the merlot.
Memoranda on Tours, Touraine and Central France.|J. H. Holdsworth

British Dictionary definitions for Merlot

Merlot

/ (ˈmɜːləʊ) /

noun (sometimes not capital)

a black grape grown in France and now throughout the wine-producing world, used, often in a blend, for making wine

any of various wines made from this grape

Word Origin for Merlot

from French merlot, literally: young blackbird, diminutive of merle merle 1, probably alluding to the colour of the grape

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012