barberry

[ bahr-ber-ee, -buh-ree ]

noun,plural bar·ber·ries.
  1. a shrub of the genus Berberis, especially B. vulgaris, having yellow flowers in elongated clusters.: Compare barberry family.

  2. the red, elongated, acid fruit of this shrub.

Origin of barberry

1
1350–1400; Middle English barbere<Medieval Latin barbaris (<Arabic barbāris), with -baris conformed to bereberry

Words Nearby barberry

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How to use barberry in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for barberry

barberry

/ (ˈbɑːbərɪ) /


nounplural -ries
  1. any spiny berberidaceous shrub of the widely distributed genus Berberis, esp B. vulgaris, having clusters of yellow flowers and orange or red berries: widely cultivated as hedge plants

  2. the fruit of any of these plants

Origin of barberry

1
C15: from Old French berberis, from Arabic barbāris

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