Berry Meaning
/ˈbɛɹi/Definition, CEFR level B1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
nounA small succulent fruit, of any one of many varieties.
nounA soft fruit which develops from a single ovary and contains seeds not encased in pits.
Sentence Examples
This berry is good to eat.
Why would you want Oprah when you can have Halle Berry?
CEFR Practice Quiz
She picked a ripe red ____ from the bush and ate it.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
She picked a sweet red ____ from the bush and ate it immediately.
Word Origin & History
Etymology tree 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.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"The crabs carry their berries for six months."
— 1877, Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons, Parliamentary Papers - Volume 24, page 7:
"That is the only restriction existing: not even small fish or fish in berry, and there are no restrictions on soft-shelled fish."
— 1913, Journals and Printed Papers of the Parliament of Tasmania, page 94:
"These crawfish are speared by the Kafirs, who bring them in to the village for sale, and who catch anything and everything either female fish in berry, or male fish in soft shell."
— 1914, Cape of Good Hope (South Africa). Provincial Council, Minutes and Ordinances - Volume 5, page 3:
"The corals have the shape of a shrub and are green. Their berries are snow-white under water and soft. As soon as you take them out of the water, they grow hard and red."
— 1960, Friedrich Simon Bodenheimer, Animal and Man in Bible Lands: Supplement, page 86:
"McCormick (1934) stated that eggs in various stages of development were found in females at the same time that they were in berry, which indicates a long egg-laying season."
— 1965, Fishery Bulletin of the Fish and Wildlife Service - Volume 65, page 55:
Explore More B1 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
She picked a ripe red ____ from the bush and ate it.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
She picked a sweet red ____ from the bush and ate it immediately.