Grapes

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ɡɹeɪps/

Definitions

1. A type of small, typically round fruit that can be eaten fresh, used to make wine, or dried to produce raisins
2. Plump, juicy berries that grow in clusters on vines, commonly enjoyed raw or fermented into beverages
3. Sweet, tart fruits that vary in color and flavor, often processed into juice or ornamental displays

Etymology: The plural "grapes" is simply the plural of "grape", so the story lies in the singular. English borrowed "grape" from Old French "grappe", meaning a cluster of fruit or flowers, or a bunch of grapes. That French word came from a verb, "graper", meaning "to pick grapes", which literally meant "to hook". It traces back to a Frankish word "krappō", also meaning "to hook", and the same root gave German "Krapfen", the name of the Berliner doughnut. The original idea was the hooked stalk that holds a bunch together, not the individual berry. Before "grape" arrived, English speakers used the Old English compound "wīnberġe", literally "wine-berry", which the French loan displaced. The word "grappa", the Italian grape brandy, is a doublet of "grape", coming from the same source by a different route.

Synonyms: berries, fruit, clusters