raisin

American  

[ray-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

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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

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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

She had gone back to the raisin fields days after she was exposed, even though her throat was sore and she was coughing, because she needed the money.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 24, 2026

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

"To see nanoscale structures with standard electron microscopy, we fix and dehydrate the tissues, but freezing them retains their shape -- similar to freezing a grape rather than dehydrating it into a raisin," says Watanabe.

From Science Daily ● Dec. 2, 2024

I hoped the gods liked raisin toast and Froot Loops.

From "The Battle of the Labyrinth" by Rick Riordan

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

We especially enjoyed the empanadas criollas, beef with olives and raisins and deboned whole-fried yellowtail, served with Haitian pikliz, a pickled vegetable condiment, and Guasacaca, a Venezuelan avocado salsa.

From Salon ● Feb. 2, 2026

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

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 8, 2026

“Bet she puts raisins in her potato salad.”

From "On the Come Up" by Angie Thomas

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