raisin
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zɪn1350–1400; Middle English raisin, reisin < Old French < Vulgar Latin *racīmus, for Latin racēmus raceme
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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raisin (ˈreɪzən) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) | |
| —n | |
| a dried grape | |
| [C13: from Old French: grape, ultimately from Latin racēmus cluster of grapes; compare Greek rhax berry, grape] | |
| 'raisiny | |
| —adj | |
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| the offspring of a zebra and a donkey. |
| a screen or mat covered with a dark material for shielding a camera lens from excess light or glare. |
raisin
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raisin
dried fruit of certain varieties of grape. Raisin grapes were grown as early as 2000 BC in Persia and Egypt, and dried grapes are mentioned in the Bible (Numbers 6:3) during the time of Moses. David (Israel's future king) was presented with "a hundred clusters of raisins" (1 Samuel 25:18), probably sometime during the period 1110-1070 BC. Early Greeks and Romans adorned places of worship with raisins, and they were awarded as prizes in sporting events. Until the 20th century the chief raisin producers were Turkey, Iran, and Greece; by mid-century the United States had taken the lead in production, with Australia ranking second. The U.S. raisin industry is located entirely in California, where the first raisin grapes were planted in 1851.
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