small, tart red berries that grow on low-lying plants in wetlands, often used in sauces and juice.
From Dutch 'kraanbezie,' literally 'crane berry,' possibly because cranes ate them. The word entered English in the 1600s via Dutch settlers in North America.
Cranberries are Native American medicine—used for centuries before modern science proved they contain compounds that fight urinary tract infections, making traditional wisdom literally measurable by chemistry.
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