currant2 (kurant)

[Early mod. E. also cur rent (also, rarely, corint, corinth ), also curran, cor an, coren, usually in pl. currans, corans, co rauns, earlier, as in late ME., raisins ( raysyns, raysons, etc.) of corans (corauns, coraunce, co rons, etc.), after F. raisins de Cor in the (Pg. pas sas de Corintho), raisins of Corinth: so called from the place of their origin, the Zante currants being still regularly exported. Cf. D. korentken, LG. carentken, G. kor in the, Dan. ko render, It. corinthi, pl., currant; of same origin.] 1. A very small kind of raisin or dried currant grape imported from the Levant, chiefly from Zante and and Cephalonia, and used in cookery. We found there rype smalle raysons that we calle rey sons of Corans, and they growe chefly in Corythy, called now Corona, in Morea, to whom Seynt Poule wrote sundry epystolles. Sir R. Guylforde , Pylgrymage, p. 11. Since we traded to Zante. the plant that beareth the Coren is also brought into this real me from thence. Hakluyt's Voyages , II. 165. The impost on tobacco from the royal colony of Virginia encountered no serious opposition, but another impost, upon currants, currans, corinths, or grapes of Corinth, had not such an uninterrupted course. S. Dowell , Taxes in England, I. 215. 2. The small round fruit (a berry) of several species of Ribes, natural order Saxifragaceæ; the plant producing this fruit: so called because the berries resemble in size the small grapes from the Levant. The red currant is R. rubrum, of which the white currant is a variety; the wild black currant, R. floridum; the buffalo or Mi ouri currant, R. au reum; the flowering currant, R. sanguineum, the berries of which are insipid, but not, as popularly supposed, poisonous. The red currant is sharply but pleasantly acid, and is much used in the form of jelly and jam. The white variety is milder and le common. The black currant is slightly musky and bitter, but makes an agreeable jam. The barberry and currant must escape, Though her small clusters imitate the grape. Tate , Cowley. 3. In Australia and Tasmania, a species of Leucopogon, especially L. Richei.-4. A name for various melastomaceous species of tropical America, bearing edible berries, especially of the genera Miconia and Clidemia. Indian currant, the coral-berry, Symphoricarpus vulgar is. currant-borer (kur'ant-bōr" ér), n. Same as currant-clearwing. [U. S.]