any plant having a long, slender stem that trails or creeps on the ground or climbs by winding itself about a support or holding fast with tendrils or claspers.
the stem of any such plant.
a grape plant.
any of various plants, esp the grapevine, having long flexible stems that creep along the ground or climb by clinging to a support by means of tendrils, leafstalks, etc
the stem of such a plant
1250–1300; Middle English < Old French vi ( g ) ne < Latin vīnea vine(yard), equivalent to vīn ( um ) wine + -ea, feminine of -eus -eous
A vine is a plant that spreads by creeping along the ground or climbing up some kind of support. Grapes are one example of a vine, and ivy is another. The famous children's book Madeline takes place "in an old house in Paris that was covered with vines." Vines naturally trail along or climb trees, fences, and houses. The root of vine means "wine," and the original definition was "plant bearing grapes for making wine."
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
As a result, McMullen says he’s leaving 30% of his fruit to rot on the vine this season.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 24, 2026
We do need to eliminate poverty for older Americans, but the answer lies in strengthening SSI, which has been allowed to wither on the vine.
From MarketWatch ● Mar. 10, 2026
Monk fruit is a perennial vine native to China and a member of the gourd family.
From Science Daily ● Jan. 14, 2026
Some had run out of water as temperatures soared to 113 degrees, eating grapes off the vine in an attempt to stay hydrated.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 25, 2025
Then, when his grip held, he would lean back on the vine and swing his weight against it.
From "Homecoming" by Cynthia Voigt
While at Oracle, he started creating comedic videos, which he likens to Dilbert cartoons, for the now-defunct six-second video app Vine.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 27, 2026
Vine previously labelled Belfield "the Jimmy Savile of trolling" during his trial at Nottingham Crown Court.
From BBC ● Mar. 26, 2026
The company, which is valued at $5 billion, is based in a glass-and-steel office building near the fabled intersection of Hollywood Boulevard and Vine Street.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 27, 2026
Katie Vine of Dinners Done Quick touches on the beautiful vulnerability of eating spaghetti with your lover — and loved ones.
From Salon ● Feb. 14, 2026
The other kid chimes in with, “I’m on Vine and North Cherry Hill Drive.”
From "Marcus Vega Doesn't Speak Spanish" by Pablo Cartaya
Set against a backdrop of vines and beanstalks, a model even took to the runway holding a book of fairy tales once owned by Coco Chanel.
From BBC ● Jul. 9, 2026
Under a chaotic canopy woven with vines and studded with fearsome spiked stems, the group crossed streams, waded through mud and picked off dozens of leeches.
From Barron's ● Jun. 25, 2026
“Anyone who purchased these vines should contact their local agricultural commissioner immediately.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 11, 2026
The vineyard for the domaine’s namesake wine is in the village of Vosne-Romanée, where vines grow on a gently sloped plot of less than 5 acres.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 31, 2026
Within a few minutes’ walk I see the vines, still waving in the wind which has just finished its eight-hour cycle.
From "The Last Cuentista" by Donna Barba Higuera
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
