Meaning & use
grapes
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“grapes” is a form of “grape”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
nouncountable
small round fruit that grows in bunches on a vine and is eaten fresh or used to make wine.
Grammar: Countable noun; the singular is grape, and the plural is grapes.
Patterns
- a bunch of grapes
- grapes on the vine
- seedless grapes
- grapes grow
She bought a bunch of green grapes at the market.
These grapes are very sweet this year.
The grapes on the vine are not ready to pick yet.
nouncountable
the plant or vine that produces this fruit, often grown in vineyards.
Grammar: Used especially in farming and wine contexts; the plant itself may be called a grape vine.
Patterns
- grow grapes
- grape harvest
- grape grower
The farmers grow grapes on the hillside.
This region is famous for its grapes and wine.
They planted new grapes last spring.
Word forms
| singular | grape |
|---|---|
| plural | grapes |
Common combinations
- a bunch of grapes
- He put a bunch of grapes in the picnic basket.
- seedless grapes
- Seedless grapes are easier to eat in a salad.
- grape juice
- The children drank grape juice with lunch.
- sour grapes
- His criticism sounds like sour grapes because he did not win.
Synonyms and how they differ
Word family
- grapevine noun
- The vine that grapes grow on, or an informal way of passing news.
- grapefruit noun
- A large citrus fruit with a similar name but a very different taste.
Commonly confused: grapes or grapefruit? grapes or raisin?
grapes vs grapefruit
Grapefruit is a large citrus fruit, not a kind of grape; the name is misleading.
grapes vs raisin
A raisin is a dried grape, not a fresh one.
Practice
Choose the correct sentence.
Choose one answer.
Grapes is a countable plural noun, so 'some grapes' is correct. 'A grapes' is wrong because 'a' cannot be used with a plural, and 'grape' alone needs a determiner in this sentence.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “grapes”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.