berry Meaning & Definition
What Does Berry Mean?
Berry is used as a noun meaning A small succulent fruit, of any one of many varieties. It can also mean A soft fruit which develops from a single ovary and contains seeds not encased in pits. As a verb, it means To pick berries. As a verb, it means To beat; give a beating to; thrash.
Berry in Brief
| Part of speech | noun, verb |
|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /ˈbɛɹi/ |
| Plural | berries |
| Verb forms | berries, berrying, berried |
Berry Definition (Noun)
- A small succulent fruit, of any one of many varieties.
- A soft fruit which develops from a single ovary and contains seeds not encased in pits.
- A coffee bean.
- One of the ova or eggs of a fish or crustacean.
- A police car.
- A dollar.
- ↑ Marlies Philippa et al., eds., Etymologisch Woordenboek van het Nederlands, A-Z, s.v. “bes” (Amsterdam UP, 3 Dec. 2009) .
- ↑ “berry n.”, in Green’s Dictionary of Slang, Jonathon Green, 2016–present.
Berry as a Verb
- To pick berries.
On summer days Grandma used to take us berrying, whether we wanted to go or not.
- To bear or produce berries.
Noun
- A mound; a barrow.
Noun
- A burrow, especially a rabbit's burrow.
- An excavation; a military mine.
Verb
- To beat; give a beating to; thrash.
- To thresh (grain).
Noun
- One of the ova or eggs of a fish.
- (African American) A police car.
Synonyms of Berry
The source does not list synonyms for this entry.
Berry synonyms and antonyms →Berry in a Sentence
On summer days Grandma used to take us berrying, whether we wanted to go or not.
Word Forms & Grammar
berry (plural berries)
berry (third-person singular simple present berries, present participle berrying, simple past and past participle berried)
Words That Rhyme With Berry
Origin of Berry
Origin 1: From Middle English berie, beriye, bery, berye, berȝe, byry, from Old English berġe, berie, beriġe, from Proto-West Germanic *baʀi, from Proto-Germanic *bazją (“berry”).[1]
Origin 2: The slang sense "police car" may come from the lights on the vehicles' roofs.[2]
Origin 3: From Middle English berȝe, berghe, from Old English beorġe, dative form of beorg (“mountain, hill, mound, barrow”), from Proto-West Germanic *berg, from Proto-Germanic *bergaz (“mountain, hill”). More at barrow.
Origin 4: From Middle English bery (“a burrow”). More at burrow.
Common Questions About Berry
Is berry a noun or a verb?
Berry is mainly used as a noun, but it can also be used as a verb.
What is the plural of berry?
The plural of berry is berries.
What is the past tense of berry?
The past tense of berry is berried. The present participle is berrying.