Also 8 craneberry. [A name of comparatively recent appearance in English; entirely unknown to the herbalists of 16–17th c., who knew the plant and fruit as marsh-whorts, fen-whorts, fen-berries, marsh-berries, moss-berries. Several varieties of the name occur in continental languages, as G. kranichbeere, kranbeere, LG. krônbere, krones- or kronsbere, krônsbär, kranebere (all meaning crane-berry); cf. also Sw. tranbär, Da. tranebær, f. trana, trane, crane. As to its introduction into England, see sense 1.]
1. The fruit of a dwarf shrub, Vaccinium Oxycoccos, a native of Britain, Northern Europe, Siberia, and N. America, growing in turfy bogs: a small, roundish, dark red, very acid berry. Also the similar but larger fruit of V. macrocarpon, a native of N. America (Large or American Cranberry). Both are used for tarts, preserves, etc. The name is also given to the shrubs themselves.
The name appears to have been adopted by the North American colonists from some LG. source, and brought to England with the American cranberries (V. macrocarpon), imported already in 1686, when Ray (Hist. Pl. 685) says of them ‘hujus baccas a Nova Anglia usque missas Londini vidimus et gustavimus. Scriblitis seu ortis (Tarts nostrates vocant) eas inferciunt.’ Thence it began to be applied in the 18th c. to the British species (V. Oxycoccos). In some parts, where the latter is unknown, the name is erroneously given to the cowberry (V. Vitis Idæa).
1672. Josselyn, New Eng. Rarities, 119. Cranberry, or Bear Berry … is a small trayling plant that grows in salt marshes.
1694. Acct. Sev. Late Voy., I. Introd. p. xvii. A Shrub whose fruit was … full of red juice like Currans, perhaps ’tis the same with the New England Cranberry or Bear-berry with which we make tarts.
1743–4. Jan. 18 P. Collinson, in Linnæus Corresp., I herewith send you a box of Cranberries or Oxycoccus.… They came from Pennsylvania; ours in England are very small.
1748. Mrs. Delany, Life & Corr. (1861), II. 491. I gathered [near Clogher] four sorts of fruit—raspberries, cranberries, strawberries, and nuts.
1777. J. Lightfoot, Flora Scot., I. 203. Cran-berries, Moss-berries, or Moor berries.
1817–8. Cobbett, Resid. U.S. (1822), 189. Cranberries, the finest fruit for tarts that ever grew, are bought for about a dollar a bushel, and they will keep … for five months.
1868. Q. Victoria, Journ. Life Highlands, 196. The dinner … ending with a good tart of cranberries.
2. Applied with qualifications to several plants having fruit resembling a cranberry; as Australian Cranberry, Lissanthe sapida (N.O. Epacridaceæ); Bush C., High C., or C. Tree, Viburnum Oxycoccos Pursh (N.O. Caprifoliaceæ); Tasmanian C., Astroloma humifusum (N.O. Epacridaceæ).
1836. [Mrs. Traill], Backwoods of Canada, 144. High and low-bush cranberries … brought by the Squaws in birch baskets…. The low-bush cranberries … form a standing preserve on the tea-tables…; but for richness of flavour … I admire the high-bush cranberries…. The bush on which this cranberry grows resembles the guelder rose.
1856. A. Gray, Man. Bot. North. U.S. (ed. 2), 168. V. Opulus L. (Cranberry Tree)…. (V. Oxycóccus and V. édule, Pursh)…. The acid fruit is used as a (poor) substitute for cranberries, whence the name High Cranberry-bush.
1866. Treas. Bot., 688. Lissanthe sapida, a native of South-eastern Australia, is called the Australian Cranberry on account of its resemblance both in size and colour to our European cranberry.
3. attrib. and Comb., as cranberry-crop, -picking, -tart; cranberry-tree = High Cranberry (see 2).
1825. J. Neal, Bro. Jonathan, II. 342. Poor Mary was devouring a cranberry tart.
1864. G. A. Sala, in Daily Tel., 5 July, 5/4. The ruthless speculators who have forestalled the cranberry crop at Cape Cod.
