GRAPE  , the

fruit of the vine (q.v.) . The word is adopted from the O . Fr. grape, mod. grappe, bunch or cluster of flowers or fruit, grappes de raisin, bunch of grapes . The French word meant properly a hook; cf . M.H.G. krapfe, Eng . " grapnel," and " cramp." The development of meaning seems to be vine-hook, cluster of grapes cut with a hook, and thence in English a single grape of a cluster . The projectile called " grape " or " grape-shot," formerly used with smooth-bore ordnance, took its name from its general resemblance to a bunch of grapes . It consisted of a number of spherical bullets (heavier than those of the con-temporary musket) arranged in layers separated by thin iron plates, a bolt passing through the centre of the plates binding the whole together . On being discharged the projectile delivered the bullets in a shower somewhat after the fashion of case-shot .