Definition

1. Noun:
   • A small, round, red berry: A red currant is a small, tart, edible red berry that grows in clusters on a shrub.
   • The shrub bearing these berries: "Red currant" also refers to the deciduous shrub (genus Ribes) that produces these berries.

Usage Examples

• Noun (referring to the berry):
  • She picked a handful of ripe red currants from the bush.
  • The recipe calls for two cups of fresh red currants.
• Noun (referring to the plant):
  • We planted a red currant in the garden last spring.
  • The red currant is thriving in the sunny spot.

Advanced Usage

• "Red currant" as a modifier: The term is often used attributively to describe products made from the berry.
  • She served the meat with a red currant sauce.
  • I bought a jar of red currant jelly.

Variants and Related Words

• White currant: A cultivar of the same species () producing pale yellow, translucent berries.
• Black currant: A different, closely related species () producing dark purple-black berries with a stronger flavor.
• Currant (general): Can refer to the dried fruit from a small seedless grape (Zante currant), which is unrelated to red, white, or black currants.

Synonyms

• Berry: A general term for a small, pulpy, and often edible fruit.
• Fruit: The sweet and fleshy product of a tree or other plant that contains seed.

Related Phrases

• Red currant bush: A common phrase specifying the plant itself.
  • The red currant bush needs to be pruned in the winter.
• Red currant jam/jelly: Common compounds describing preserves made from the fruit.
  • This scone is delicious with red currant jelly.

Noun

1. small red berries used primarily in jams and jellies
2. cultivated European current bearing small edible red berries