ETYM French corinthe (raisins de Corinthe raisins of Corinth) currant, from the city of Corinth in Greece, whence, probably, the small dried grape (1) was first imported, the Ribes fruit (2) receiving the name from its resemblance to that grape.
(Homonym: current).
1. Any of several tart red or black berries used primarily for jellies and jams.
2. Any of various deciduous shrubs of the genus Ribes bearing currants; SYN. currant bush.
3. Small dried seedless raisin grown in the Mediterranean region and California; used in cooking.
Berry of a small seedless variety of cultivated grape Vitis vinifera. Currants are grown on a large scale in Greece and California and used dried in cooking and baking. Because of the similarity of the fruit, the name currant is also given to several species of shrubs in the genus Ribes, family Grossulariaceae.
The garden red currant Ribes rubrum is a native of S Europe and Asia, now also growing in North America. The European black currant R. nigrum is widely cultivated. The American black currant R. americanum is native to E North America, as is the skunk currant R. glandulosum.