berry

¹

[ ber-ee ]

noun

, plural ber·ries.

1. any small, usually stoneless, juicy fruit, irrespective of botanical structure, as the huckleberry, strawberry, or hackberry.
2. Botany. a simple fruit having a pulpy pericarp in which the seeds are embedded, as the grape, gooseberry, currant, or tomato.
3. a dry seed or kernel, as of wheat.
4. the hip of the rose.
5. one of the eggs of a lobster, crayfish, etc.
6. the berries, Older Slang. someone or something very attractive or unusual.

verb (used without object)

, ber·ried, ber·ry·ing.

1. to gather or pick berries:

   We went berrying this morning.

2. to bear or produce berries.

Berry

²

[ ber-ee; French be-ree ]

noun

1. Charles Edward Anderson Chuck, 1926–2017, U.S. rock-'n'-roll singer, musician, and composer.
2. Also Berri. a former province in central France.

Berry

¹

noun

1. ˈbɛrɪ BerryChuck1926MUSMUSIC: rock guitaristMUSIC: singerMUSIC: songwriter Chuck , full name Charles Edward Berry . born 1926, US rock-and-roll guitarist, singer, and songwriter. His frequently covered songs include "Maybellene" (1955), "Roll Over Beethoven" (1956), "Johnny B. Goode" (1958), "Memphis, Tennessee" (1959), and "Promised Land" (1964)
2. bɛri BerryJean de France13401416MFrenchPOLITICS: statesman Jean de France (ʒɑ̃ də frɑ̃s), Duc de. 1340–1416, French prince, son of King John II; coregent (1380–88) for Charles VI and a famous patron of the arts

berry

²

/ ˈbɛrɪ /

noun

1. any of various small edible fruits such as the blackberry and strawberry
2. botany an indehiscent fruit with two or more seeds and a fleshy pericarp, such as the grape or gooseberry
3. any of various seeds or dried kernels, such as a coffee bean
4. the egg of a lobster, crayfish, or similar animal

verb

1. to bear or produce berries
2. to gather or look for berries

berry

/ bĕr′ē /

1. A simple fruit that has many seeds in a fleshy pulp. Grapes, bananas, tomatoes, and blueberries are berries.
2. Compare drupeSee more at simple fruit
3. A seed or dried kernel of certain kinds of grain or other plants such as wheat, barley, or coffee.

Derived Forms

• ˈberried, adjective

Other Words From

• berry·less adjective
• berry·like adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of berry¹

before 1000; Middle English berie, Old English beri ( g ) e; cognate with Old Saxon, Old High German beri ( German Beere ), Old Norse ber < Germanic basjá-; akin to Dutch besie, Gothic -basi < Germanic básja-

Word History and Origins

Origin of berry¹

Old English berie ; related to Old High German beri , Dutch bezie

Usage

Cucumbers and tomatoes aren't usually thought of as berries, but to a botanist they are in fact berries, while strawberries and raspberries are not. In botany, a berry is a fleshy kind of simple fruit consisting of a single ovary that has multiple seeds. Other true berries besides cucumbers and tomatoes are bananas, oranges, grapes, and blueberries. Many fruits that are popularly called berries have a different structure and thus are not true berries. For example, strawberries and raspberries are aggregate fruits, developed from multiple ovaries of a single flower. The mulberry is not a true berry either. It is a multiple fruit, like the pineapple, and is made up of the ovaries of several individual flowers.

Example Sentences

Watts is herself writing a book on menopause while Berry is pushing for new legislation to promote its research, training and education.

From BBC

“As a person, he's no different than he was in the pilot because he doesn't need to be,” Berry told Salon before Season 6 began.

From Salon

Bassist Mike Mills and drummer Bill Berry grew up together in Macon, Ga., where they played Southern boogie rock, and moved to Athens to attend college at the University of Georgia.

From Los Angeles Times

Organic strawberries from Harry’s Berries are given a light dusting of California-grown guajillo chile, a squeeze of Key lime and a sprinkle of Big Sur sea salt before being slowly dehydrated.

From Los Angeles Times

“The thing that I love the most about the job is being surprised and being surprising,” Berry said.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• bean
• grain
• kernel