currant

American  

[kur-uhnt, kuhr-] / ˈkɜr ənt, ˈkʌr- /

noun

1. a small seedless raisin, of the cultivar Black Corinth, produced chiefly in Greece, and used in cooking and confectionery.

2. the small, edible, acidic, round fruit of certain wild or cultivated shrubs of the genus Ribes.

3. any of various fruit-bearing shrubs of the genus Ribes, including black currant and gooseberry.

4. any of various fruits or shrubs resembling those of the genus Ribes.

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currant British  

/ ˈkʌrənt /

noun

1. a small dried seedless grape of the Mediterranean region, used in cooking

2. any of several mainly N temperate shrubs of the genus Ribes, esp R. rubrum (redcurrant) and R. nigrum (blackcurrant): family Grossulariaceae See also gooseberry

3. the small acid fruit of any of these plants

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Etymology

Origin of currant

First recorded in 1300–50; shortened from Middle English raysons of Coraunte “raisins of Corinth, ” the port in Greece from which they originally came

Example Sentences

Go classic with vanilla bean and sour cherries, or get adventurous with rosemary and currant, or even aged cheddar and black pepper.

From Salon • Dec. 4, 2025

She’s laid out brownies and lemon and currant loaves that she baked hours earlier.

From Los Angeles Times • May 29, 2024

Same with the eight jugs of red currant wine in Susan’s tale that become eight cases of mezcal in Sadie’s and eight bottles of plum brandy in Beckett’s.

From New York Times • May 20, 2024

Consider the French Kir Royale, which consists of just black currant liqueur and champagne—it's almost always served neat.

From Scientific American • Jun. 17, 2023

Now he watched the purple recede blotchily from Uncle Vernon’s face, making it look like badly mixed black currant ice cream.

From "Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire" by J. K. Rowling