Use juice for the liquid extracted from fruit or vegetables, not for the whole fruit or for unrelated ideas.
Use juice for the liquid extracted from fruit or vegetables, not for the whole fruit or for unrelated ideas.
| Incorrect | Correct |
| I need a juice of orange. | I need orange juice. |
| The juice are sweet. | The juice is sweet. |
| He used his juice to fix the computer. | He used his influence to fix the computer. |
Use juice as a verb when describing the act of extracting liquid from produce.
| Incorrect | Correct |
| She juice the oranges. | She juices the oranges. |
| They are juice the grapes. | They are juicing the grapes. |
| I juice the car battery. | I charge the car battery. |
Use juice for informal talk about influence or power, not for literal liquid.
| Incorrect | Correct |
| He has a lot of juice in his kitchen. | He has a lot of influence in his kitchen. |
| The juice are strong. | The juice is strong. |
| She needs more juice to lift the box. | She needs more strength to lift the box. |
Use juice for informal reference to electrical power, especially for batteries or portable devices.
| Incorrect | Correct |
| The juice is low. | The battery charge is low. |
| Plug the juice into the outlet. | Plug the power cord into the outlet. |
| We need more juice for the meeting. | We need more power for the meeting. |
Choose the sense that matches the context: the drink, the act of extracting, informal influence, or electrical power.
Using juice for electricity, as in ‘The juice is low’, confuses the slang power sense with the literal liquid.
From Old French jus ‘juice, sap, liquid’, which came from Latin ius ‘broth, sauce’, ultimately from Proto‑Indo‑European *yeu‑ ‘to blend, mix food’.
What does juice mean when referring to a drink?
It is the liquid obtained by pressing or squeezing fruit or vegetables, often served as a beverage.
How is juice used as a verb?
When used as a verb, juice means to press or squeeze produce to extract its liquid.
What is the slang meaning of juice in business?
In informal business talk, juice refers to influence, power, or leverage someone has.
How is juice used to talk about electrical power?
People often say juice to mean the electrical energy or charge available to a device, especially a battery.
Where does the word juice come from?
It comes from Old French jus, which derived from Latin ius meaning broth or sauce, and ultimately from a Proto‑Indo‑European root meaning ‘to blend, mix food’.
Can juice be used to describe influence?
Yes, in informal contexts ‘juice’ can describe a person’s ability to affect decisions or actions.
Is juice ever used in a medical context?
In anatomy, juice can refer to the extractable fluid content of cells or tissues, though this sense is less common.
What is the plural form of juice?
The word juice is normally uncountable, but when referring to different types it can be pluralized as juices.
How is juice different from pulp?
Juice is the liquid extracted from fruit or vegetables, while pulp is the solid residue left after the liquid is removed.