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cranberry

Etymology and origin of the English word cranberry

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Pronunciation

  • IPA: /ˈkɹæn.b(ə).ɹi/ (UK); /ˈkɹæn.bɛɹ.i/ (US)[1]

Etymology

Apparently an American English adaptation of Low German Kraanbere, from Low German kraan (“crane”) + bere (“berry”),[2][3][4][5][6] partly translated as English crane and berry.[2][5] The reason for the name is unknown;[4] perhaps the plant's stamens were thought to look like cranes' beaks.[4] Swedish tranbär and Danish tranebær are formed in the same way.[4]

Earliest recorded meaning

The fruit of the cranberry, in American English (1647 in Barnhart and Merriam-Webster; 1672 in the OED).[3][5][7]

Semantic evolution

German and Dutch settlers in America recognized the similarity between the European berry (Vaccinium oxycoccos) and the larger North American one (V. macrocarpon) and transferred the name.[4] The berries and their name were brought to England by the 1680s, where the name was later applied to the native plant, earlier called fenberry or marshwort.[4][7] It is also used as a colour name, a dark red.[5][1]

Timeline

  • 1640s – the berry, in American English.[4][3][5]
  • 1672 – the OED's first quotation.[7]
  • 1807 – compounds such as cranberry sauce.[7]
  • 1836 – other plants with similar fruit.[7]

Modern meaning

Noun

  1. An evergreen trailing shrub, Vaccinium macrocarpon of eastern North America, with pink flowers and tart red berries; also, related plants such as V. oxycoccos.
  2. The red, acid berry of such a plant, used in sauces, jellies and juice.
  3. A dark red colour.

Word family

  • highbush cranberry
  • mountain cranberry
  • cranberry bush
  • crane
  • berry
  • bilberry
  • lingonberry

References

  1. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (1992), 3rd ed., Boston: Houghton Mifflin
  3. ^ a b c Barnhart, Robert K., ed. (1995), The Barnhart Concise Dictionary of Etymology, New York: HarperCollins
  4. ^ a b c d e f g Harper, Douglas, Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  5. ^ a b c d e Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary (2003), 11th ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
  6. ^ Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary (1999), 2nd ed., New York: Random House
  7. ^ a b c d e Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press
Cite this entry

“Cranberry.” Etymologically, 11 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/en/cranberry. Accessed 11 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·