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Synonyms

Merlot

American  
[mur-loh, mer-loh] / ˈmɜr loʊ, mɛrˈloʊ /

noun

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


Merlot British  
/ ˈmɜːləʊ /

noun

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

  2. any of various wines made from this 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

Etymology

Origin of Merlot

< French: literally, young blackbird, derivative of merle merle 1, probably alluding to the color of the grape


Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

By the 1990s, Merlot was a full-blown phenomenon in the wine industry.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 2026

He has a brand-new, limited-release arak, distilled from a base wine of Merlot, which he made as a tribute to his Palestinian grandmother, who died last year from complications of COVID-19.

From Salon ● Jan. 2, 2022

Native plants pop up across the property including six Joshua trees, five olive trees and nine Ocotillo cacti, as well as vines that produce grape varietals such as Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 3, 2021

Meghan wore a Merlot trouser outfit to the appearance, while Harry wore khakis and a casual gray Henley.

From Washington Times ● Sep. 24, 2021

“Here,” said Merlot, “follow me, small brother, and I will instruct you on the fine points of how to nibble paper. ”

From "The Tale of Despereaux: Being the Story of a Mouse, a Princess, Some Soup and a Spool of Thread" by Kate DiCamillo

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