berry
Definition from Wiktionary, a free dictionary
Contents |
[edit] English
[edit] Etymology
Old English beriġe, from Proto-Germanic *ƀazjon 'berry', from Indo-European 'chew', akin to Sanskrit bábhasti 'to chew, masticate, devour'. Cognate with Dutch bes, German Beere, Gothic weina-basi 'wineberry, grape'. For the semantic development, compare: Old Church Slavonic gruša 'pear', from grušiti 'to break, destroy', Latin pirum 'pear', from *peis 'to stick, pound'.
[edit] Pronunciation
[edit] Noun
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Singular |
Plural |
berry (plural berries)
- A small fruit, of any one of many varieties.
- A soft fruit which develops from a superior ovary and contains seeds not encased in pits.
[edit] Derived terms
terms derived from "berry"
[edit] Translations
A small fruit
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A soft fruit which develops from a superior ovary and contains seeds not encased in pits
[edit] Verb
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Infinitive |
Third person singular |
Simple past |
Past participle |
Present participle |
to berry (third-person singular simple present berries, present participle berrying, simple past and past participle berried)
- To pick berries.
- On summer days Grandma used to take us berrying, whether we wanted to or not.
[edit] Usage notes
- Unlikely to be used to refer to commercial harvest of berries.