Definition

1. Noun:
   • The fruit of the coffee plant: "coffee-berry" refers to the small, red or purple fruit (drupe) produced by coffee plants (genus Coffea), which contains the coffee bean inside.
   • A seed-bearing structure: In botanical terms, the "coffee-berry" is the fleshy fruit that encloses the coffee seed, commonly called the coffee bean.

Usage Examples

• (The fruit of the coffee plant was collected.)
• (The fruit holds the seeds inside.)
• (The fruit was at peak ripeness.)

Advanced Usage

• "coffee-berry disease": a fungal disease affecting coffee-berries, causing them to rot.
  • The crop was severely damaged by coffee-berry disease. (A fungal infection ruined the fruit.)
• "coffee-berry borer": a beetle that infests coffee-berries, damaging the beans.
  • Farmers must control the coffee-berry borer to protect their harvest. (A pest that attacks the fruit.)

Variants and Related Words

• Coffee bean (n): the seed found inside the coffee-berry, used to make coffee.
  • The coffee bean is roasted and ground for brewing. (The seed inside the fruit.)
• Coffee cherry (n): an alternate term for coffee-berry, emphasizing its cherry-like appearance.
  • Coffee cherries are hand-picked during harvest. (Another name for the fruit.)

Synonyms

• Coffee cherry: the fruit of the coffee plant.
• Coffee fruit: the whole berry containing the bean.

Related Idioms

• "From berry to cup": a phrase describing the entire coffee production process.
  • The company focuses on quality from berry to cup. (From harvesting to brewing.)

Notes

• The term "coffee-berry" is less common than "coffee cherry" in modern usage, but both refer to the same fruit. The hyphenation emphasizes the compound nature of the word.