Adjacent Words

Currant definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

CURRANT, n. [from Corinth.]
1. The fruit of a well known shrub belonging to the genus Ribes, of which Grossularia is now considered a species; the grossberry or gooseberry and the currant falling under the same genus. Currants are of various species and varieties; as the common red and white currants, and the black currant.
2. A small kind of dried grape, imported from the Levant, chiefly from Zante and Cephalonia; used in cookery.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: any of several tart red or black berries used primarily for jellies and jams
2: any of various deciduous shrubs of the genus Ribes bearing currants [syn: currant, currant bush]
3: small dried seedless raisin grown in the Mediterranean region and California; used in cooking

Merriam Webster's

noun Etymology: Middle English raison of Coraunte, literally, raisin of Corinth Date: 14th century 1. a small seedless raisin grown chiefly in the Levant 2. the acid edible fruit of various shrubs (genus Ribes) placed in either the saxifrage or gooseberry family; also a plant bearing currants

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. 1 a dried fruit of a small seedless variety of grape grown in the Levant and much used in cookery. 2 a any of various shrubs of the genus Ribes producing red, white, or black berries. b a berry of these shrubs. Phrases and idioms: flowering currant an ornamental species of currant native to N. America. Etymology: ME raysons of coraunce f. AF, = grapes of Corinth (the orig. source)

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Currant Cur"rant (k?r"rant), n. [F. corinthe (raisins de Corinthe raisins of Corinth) currant (in sense 1), from the city of Corinth in Greece, whence, probably, the small dried grape (1) was first imported, the Ribes fruit (2) receiving the name from its resemblance to that grape.] 1. A small kind of seedless raisin, imported from the Levant, chiefly from Zante and Cephalonia; -- used in cookery. 2. The acid fruit or berry of the Ribes rubrum or common red currant, or of its variety, the white currant. 3. (Bot.) A shrub or bush of several species of the genus Ribes (a genus also including the gooseberry); esp., the Ribes rubrum. Black currant,a shrub or bush (Ribes nigrum and R. floridum) and its black, strong-flavored, tonic fruit. Cherry currant, a variety of the red currant, having a strong, symmetrical bush and a very large berry. Currant borer (Zo["o]l.), the larva of an insect that bores into the pith and kills currant bushes; specif., the larvae of a small clearwing moth ([AE]geria tipuliformis) and a longicorn beetle (Psenocerus supernotatus). Currant worm (Zo["o]l.), an insect larva which eats the leaves or fruit of the currant. The most injurious are the currant sawfly (Nematus ventricosus), introduced from Europe, and the spanworm (Eufitchia ribearia). The fruit worms are the larva of a fly (Epochra Canadensis), and a spanworm (Eupithecia). Flowering currant, Missouri currant, a species of Ribes (R. aureum), having showy yellow flowers.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(currants) 1. Currants are small dried black grapes, used especially in cakes. N-COUNT 2. Currants are bushes which produce edible red, black, or white berries. The berries are also called currants. N-COUNT see also blackcurrant, redcurrant