What does "berry" mean?
A small succulent fruit, of any one of many varieties.
Berry
/ˈbɛɹi/ name, noun, verb, slang
name, noun, verb, slang ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A small succulent fruit, of any one of many varieties.
- Grammar: berry is listed as name, noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: acorn, akee, alligator pear, ananas.
- Useful contrasts: capsules, vegetable.
- Usage evidence: Why would you want Oprah when you can have Halle Berry?
How to use "berry"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "berry" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "berry" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "berry" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "berry" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "berry" is acting as name, noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "acorn" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
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Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "berry", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A small succulent fruit, of any one of many varieties.
- 2 A mound; a barrow. dialectal
- 3 A burrow, especially a rabbit's burrow. dialectal
- 4 any of numerous small and pulpy edible fruits; used as desserts or in making jams and jellies and preserves wordnet
- 5 A soft fruit which develops from a single ovary and contains seeds not encased in pits.
Show 6 more definitions
- 6 An excavation; a military mine.
- 7 a small fruit having any of various structures, e.g., simple (grape or blueberry) or aggregate (blackberry or raspberry) wordnet
- 8 A coffee bean.
- 9 One of the ova or eggs of a fish or crustacean.
"The crabs carry their berries for six months."
- 10 A police car. US, slang
"Today was like one of those fly dreams / Didn't even see a berry flashin' those high beams"
- 11 A dollar. US, dated, slang
"Four rounds and Enright still on his feet and a hundred and fifty thousand berries gone if he stays two more!"
Verb
- 1 To pick berries. intransitive
"On summer days Grandma used to take us berrying, whether we wanted to go or not."
- 2 To beat; give a beating to; thrash. transitive
- 3 pick or gather berries wordnet
- 4 To bear or produce berries.
- 5 To thresh (grain). transitive
Proper Noun
- 1 A surname from Middle English.
- 2 A female given name from English. rare
""I'm Beryl Shaddock. Call me Berry," the girl said."
- 3 A former province in Centre-Val de Loire region, France.
- 4 A male given name transferred from the surname.
"Beresford Conway. All my pals call me Berry."
- 5 A place name:; A town in Fayette County, Alabama, United States, named after Thompson Berry.
Show 4 more definitions
- 6 A place name:; A minor city in Harrison County, Kentucky, United States.
- 7 A place name:; A town in Dane County, Wisconsin, United States.
- 8 A place name:; A municipality in Abitibi Regional County Municipality, Quebec, Canada.
- 9 A place name:; A village in the City of Shoalhaven, New South Wales, Australia, named after Alexander Berry.
Example
"Why would you want Oprah when you can have Halle Berry?"
Common questions
What is a synonym for "berry"?
Common synonyms include: acorn, akee, alligator pear, ananas, apple, apricot.
How do you use "berry" in a sentence?
Why would you want Oprah when you can have Halle Berry?
How do you pronounce "berry"?
Pronounced /ˈbɛɹi/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
Etymology tree Proto-Germanic *bazją Proto-West Germanic *baʀi Old English berġe Middle English berye English berry From Middle English berye, from Old English berġe, from Proto-West Germanic *baʀi, from Proto-Germanic *bazją. Cognate with Saterland Frisian Bäie, West Flemish beier, German Beere, Icelandic ber, Danish bær. The slang sense "police car" may come from the lights on the vehicles' roofs.
Etymology 2
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. Cognates Cognate with Scots burrow (“mound, tumulus, barrow”), North Frisian Bārig, beerch, beeri, beerj, berag, berig, berri, bärj (“mountain”), Saterland Frisian Bierich, Bíerig, Bäirch (“mountain”), West Frisian berch (“mountain”), Cimbrian pèrge (“mountain”), Dutch berg (“mountain”), German Berg (“mountain”), German Low German Barg (“mountain”), Limburgish berg, Bärrech (“hill, mountain”), Luxembourgish Bierg (“mountain”), Mòcheno pèrg (“mountain”), Yiddish באַרג (barg, “mountain”), Danish bjerg (“mountain”), Faroese berg, bjarg (“cliff”), bjørg (“cliffs”), Icelandic, Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian Nynorsk, and Swedish berg (“mountain”); also Northern Luri برگ (berg, “mountain”), Polish brzeg (“bank, shore”), Russian бе́рег (béreg, “bank, shore”).
Etymology 3
From Middle English bery (“a burrow”). More at burrow.
Etymology 4
From Middle English beryen, berien, from Old English *berian (found only in past participle ġebered (“crushed, kneaded, harassed, oppressed, vexed”)), from Proto-West Germanic *barjan, from Proto-Germanic *barjaną (“to beat, hit”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰerH- (“to rip, cut, split, grate”). Cognate with Scots berry, barry (“to thresh, thrash”), German beren (“to beat, knead”), Icelandic berja (“to beat”), Latin feriō (“strike, hit”, verb).
Etymology 5
Variant of Bury and (in dialects with Mary-marry-merry merger) Barry. The given name is also a pet form of names beginning with Ber-.
Etymology 6
From berry; also a pet form of Beryl, Berenice, or Berinthia.
Etymology 7
From French Berry.