grape

views updated May 18 2018

grape / grāp/ • n. 1. a berry, typically green (classified as white), purple, red, or black, growing in clusters on a grapevine, eaten as fruit, and used in making wine. ∎  (the grape) inf. wine: an exploration of the grape.2. a dark purplish red color.3. short for grapeshot.DERIVATIVES: grap·ey (also grap·y) adj. (grap·i·er, grap·i·est)

grape

views updated May 29 2018

grape Fruit of varieties of Vitis vinifera. One of the oldest cultivated plants (recorded in ancient Egypt in 4000 bc). Can be grouped as dessert grapes, wine grapes, and varieties that are used for drying to produce raisins, currants, and sultanas (see fruit, dried). Of the many varieties of grape that are grown for wine making, nine are considered ‘classic varieties’: cabernet sauvignon, chardonnay, chenin blanc, merlot, pinot noir, riesling, sauvignon blanc, sémillon, syrah. A 100‐g portion is a source of copper; provides 0.5 g of dietary fibre; supplies 60 kcal (245 kJ).

grape

views updated May 29 2018

grape Vines that grow in temperate and subtropical climates, producing fruit that is eaten raw, dried or used for making wine. The classical European vine (Vitis vinifera) has its origins in Asia. The climate, soil, topography, and methods of cultivation all determine the quality of the crop. Family Vitaceae.

grape

views updated Jun 11 2018

grape berry of the vine XIII; morbid growth on the pastern of a horse XVI; more fully grape-shot (XVIII) cannon shot consisting of cast-iron balls connected together XVII. Earlier in wingrape ‘wine-cluster’, cluster of grapes (XIII). — OF. grape (mod. grappe) bunch of grapes; later in XIII used first in coll. pl., subsequently in sg. OF. grape was prob. a verbal sb. f. graper gather (grapes), f. grap(p)e hook, of Gmc. orig.
Hence grape-fruit (orig. U.S.) XIX.