often attributive
1
: a smooth-skinned juicy light green or deep red to purplish black berry eaten dried or fresh as a fruit or fermented to produce wine
2
: any of numerous woody vines (genus Vitis of the family Vitaceae, the grape family) that usually climb by tendrils, produce grapes, and are nearly cosmopolitan in cultivation
3

Examples of grape in a Sentence

a bunch of seedless grapes
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
As California’s wine industry struggles with oversupply and falling demand, former Napa winemaker Andrew Cates is turning unused wine grapes into raisins through his company Wine RayZyn Co. — Sacbee.com, 26 Oct. 2026 One red grape was presented on a non-descript, clean-looking piece of wood. — Jonathan Lambert, NPR, 23 Oct. 2026 The wine was produced from nine indigenous Bordeaux grape varieties, all grown on 100 percent Franc de Pied vines. — Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 23 Oct. 2026 Light, fruity, and delicately tangy, Champagne vinegar is typically made from wines produced using the same grape varieties as Champagne, such as Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. — Emily Saladino, Bon Appetit Magazine, 19 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for grape

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French grape grape stalk, bunch of grapes, grape, of Germanic origin; akin to Old High German krāpfo hook

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of grape was in the 14th century

Cite this Entry

“Grape.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/grape. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

Kids Definition

1
: a smooth-skinned juicy light green or deep red to purplish black berry eaten dried or fresh as a fruit or fermented to produce wine
2
: any of numerous woody vines widely grown for their bunches of grapes
3
grapy
ˈgrā-pē
adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on grape

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster