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
Late summer is normally when bears are packing on calories for winter, eating foods like berries and acorns. — Spencer Wilson, CBS News, 21 Aug. 2026 Abdeen sneaked a few berries into his mouth, with one eye on his sister Essie, who stood nearby. — Rozina Ali, New Yorker, 21 Aug. 2026 In Montana, which is also experiencing a severe drought, state Fish, Wildlife & Parks (FWP) officials said there has been a significant drop in the amount of wild berries that bears normally dine on this time of year. — Bill Hutchinson, ABC News, 20 Aug. 2026 At the end of June 2026, the grocer immediately stopped selling any frozen GreenWise berries, but the fruit may still be in customers’ freezers. — Michele Laufik, Martha Stewart, 20 Aug. 2026 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

Phrases Containing berry

Rhymes for berry

See All Rhymes for berry

Browse Nearby Words

berrugate
berry
Berry
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Berry.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/berry. Accessed 23 Aug. 2026.

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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

Nglish: Translation of berry for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about berry

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