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raspberry

 - 3 dictionary results

rasp⋅ber⋅ry

[raz-ber-ee, -buh-ree, rahz-]
–noun, plural -ries.
1. the fruit of any of several shrubs belonging to the genus Rubus, of the rose family, consisting of small and juicy red, black, or pale yellow drupelets forming a detachable cap about a convex receptacle.
2. any shrub bearing this fruit.
3. a dark reddish-purple color.
4. Informal.
a. Bronx cheer.
b. any sign or expression of dislike or derision.

Origin:
1615–25; earlier rasp(is) raspberry (< ?) + berry; (def. 4) by shortening of raspberry tart, rhyming slang for fart

Bronx cheer

–noun
a loud, abrasive, spluttering noise made with the lips and tongue to express contempt. Also called raspberry. Compare bird (def. 15).

Origin:
1925–30, Americanism
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To raspberry
rasp·ber·ry   (rāz'běr'ē)   
n.  
  1. Any of various shrubby, usually prickly plants of the genus Rubus in the rose family, such as R. idaeus var. strigosus of eastern North America and R. idaeus of Europe, that bear edible fruit.

  2. The aggregate fruit of any of these plants, consisting of many small, fleshy, usually red drupelets.

  3. A moderate to dark or deep purplish red.

  4. Slang A derisive or contemptuous sound made by vibrating the extended tongue and the lips while exhaling.


[Obsolete raspis, raspberry + berry. Sense 4, possibly short for raspberry tart, rhyming slang for fart.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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