cranberry
- 01 B1 Intermediate
n.a small, sour red berry that grows on a bush and is often used to make sauce or juice.
n.the small, tart, red edible berry of various shrubs in the genus Vaccinium, typically harvested in wetlands.
Simple“We always serve cranberry sauce with the turkey at Christmas dinner.”
In context“The sharp acidity of the cranberry compote provided a necessary contrast to the richness of the roasted game meat.”
- 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.a dark, bright red colour like the skin of the berry.
n.a deep, saturated red hue resembling the skin of a ripe cranberry.
Simple“She wore a beautiful cranberry dress to the winter wedding.”
In context“The interior designer suggested painting the accent wall in cranberry to add warmth to the otherwise neutral living room.”
- 03 B2 Upper Intermediate
adj.having a dark red colour.
adj.possessing the specific deep red colour characteristic of the cranberry fruit.
Simple“The room was decorated with cranberry curtains and gold lamps.”
In context“The leather upholstery was finished in a cranberry shade that complemented the dark mahogany wood of the library shelves.”
Synonymsreddishdark red
Adapted in the 1640s from Dutch Low Saxon or German Low German Kraanbeere, from Kraan m (which means and is cognate to crane) + Beere f (which means and is cognate to berry). Equivalent to cran- + berry. Via PIE cognate with Polish żurawina, Russian журави́ка (žuravíka) (akin to жура́вль (žurávlʹ, “crane”)); Latvian dzērvene < dzērve (“crane”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.