raspberry
- 01 B1 Intermediate
n.a small, soft red fruit that grows on a bush and has many tiny seeds.
n.the edible aggregate fruit of various plant species in the genus Rubus, typically red and characterized by a hollow core when picked.
Simple“She picked a bowl of fresh raspberries from the garden for dessert.”
In context“The chef garnished the tart with a single wild raspberry, providing a sharp contrast to the rich chocolate ganache.”
- 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.a sound made by blowing through your lips with your tongue out to show you are joking or to be rude.
n.a sound made by vibrating the tongue and lips, intended to imitate flatulence as a sign of derision or in play.
Simple“The toddler blew a raspberry at his father and started giggling.”
In context“When the politician made the unpopular suggestion, several members of the audience responded by blowing a loud raspberry in protest.”
Synonyms - 03 B2 Upper Intermediate
adj.having a dark pinkish-red colour like the fruit.
adj.of a dark, purplish-red or deep pink hue characteristic of a ripe raspberry.
Simple“She wore a beautiful raspberry dress to the summer wedding.”
In context“The interior designer suggested a raspberry accent wall to add warmth and depth to the otherwise neutral living room.”
Synonymscrimsonpinkish red - 04 C1 Advanced
v.to make a noise with your mouth that sounds like a fart.
v.to produce a labial or lingual vibration intended to mimic the sound of flatulence.
Simple“He raspberryed against the baby's tummy to make her laugh.”
In context“The comedian raspberryed into the microphone, drawing a mixture of groans and laughter from the late-night crowd.”
From earlier raspis berry, possibly from raspise (a sweet rose-colored wine), from Anglo-Latin vinum raspeys, of uncertain origin. Possibly related to rasp (“coarse, rough”), of Germanic origin.
Cockney rhyming slang, from raspberry tart = fart (though "raspberry" is rarely used for a fart, merely a noise which imitates it). Compare raspberry ripple = cripple.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.