1. A variety of grape originating in southern France and Italy.
2. A dry red wine made from this grape.

[French, young blackbird, merlot, diminutive of merle, blackbird (probably from the color of the grape), from Old French. See merle¹.]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.