currant

[ kur-uhnt, kuhr- ]

noun
  1. a small seedless raisin, of the cultivar Black Corinth, produced chiefly in Greece, and used in cooking and confectionery.

  2. the small, edible, acidic, round fruit of certain wild or cultivated shrubs of the genus Ribes.

  1. any of various fruit-bearing shrubs of the genus Ribes, including black currant and gooseberry.

  2. any of various fruits or shrubs resembling those of the genus Ribes.

Origin of currant

1
First recorded in 1300–50; shortened from Middle English raysons of Coraunte “raisins of Corinth, ” the port in Greece from which they originally came

Words that may be confused with currant

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Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use currant in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for currant

currant

/ (ˈkʌrənt) /


noun
  1. a small dried seedless grape of the Mediterranean region, used in cooking

  2. any of several mainly N temperate shrubs of the genus Ribes, esp R. rubrum (redcurrant) and R. nigrum (blackcurrant): family Grossulariaceae: See also gooseberry (def. 1)

  1. the small acid fruit of any of these plants

Origin of currant

1
C16: shortened from rayson of Corannte raisin of Corinth

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