berry

1 of 2

noun

ber·​ry ˈber-ē How to pronounce berry (audio)
ˈbe-rē
plural berries
1
a
: a pulpy and usually edible fruit (such as a strawberry, raspberry, or checkerberry) of small size irrespective of its structure
b
: a simple fruit (such as a grape, blueberry, tomato, or cucumber) with a pulpy or fleshy pericarp
c
: the dry seed of some plants (such as wheat)
2
: an egg of a fish or lobster

berry

2 of 2

verb

berried; berrying

intransitive verb

1
: to bear or produce berries
a berrying shrub
2
: to gather or seek berries

Examples of berry in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
The barrels contribute red berries, fruit notes, and light tannins, merging the wine’s fruity nuances with Westward’s grain-forward single malt. Joseph V Micallef, Forbes, 15 Jan. 2025 With its sweet berry and citrus flavor profile, Sunset Sherbet is perfect for those craving a soothing, candy-like vibe. Rowan Briggs, The Mercury News, 15 Jan. 2025 Elderberries are small, dark, purple berries that grow on elder trees, which are native to Europe. Christine Rousselle, Fox News, 11 Jan. 2025 This can look like berries in the morning with breakfast, and at least one cup of vegetables with both lunch and dinner. Lauryn Higgins, Flow Space, 10 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for berry 

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English berye, from Old English berie; akin to Old High German beri berry

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

circa 1780, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of berry was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near berry

Cite this Entry

“Berry.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/berry. Accessed 18 Jan. 2025.

Kids Definition

berry

1 of 2 noun
ber·​ry ˈber-ē How to pronounce berry (audio)
plural berries
1
: a small pulpy and usually edible fruit (as a strawberry or raspberry)
2
: a fruit (as a grape, blueberry, tomato, or cucumber) that develops from a single ovary and has the wall of the ripened ovary pulpy
3
: the dry seed of some plants (as coffee)
berrylike
-ē-ˌlīk
adjective

berry

2 of 2 verb
berried; berrying
1
: to bear or produce berries
2
: to gather or look for berries
go berrying

Geographical Definition

Berry

geographical name

Ber·​ry be-ˈrē How to pronounce Berry (audio)
former province of central France; capital Bourges

More from Merriam-Webster on berry

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