Chinese gooseberry

noun

1. a climbing shrub, Actinidia chinensis, native to China and cultivated commercially in New Zealand for its edible fruit.
2. kiwi ( def 2 ).

Chinese gooseberry

noun

1. another name for kiwi fruit

Word History and Origins

Origin of Chinese gooseberry¹

First recorded in 1920–25

Example Sentences

Or maybe they just have an effective rebrand, as did the kiwi — formerly called the Chinese gooseberry.

From Salon

When a client first requested the Chinese gooseberry, six months went by before she could locate one, Mrs. Caplan told the Los Angeles Times.

From Washington Post

You’re presented with a fuzzy brown fruit from New Zealand called a Chinese gooseberry.

From Washington Post

You probably would’ve never heard of the fuzzy little fruit known as the kiwi if it hadn’t had a Norma Jean Mortenson moment and changed its name from “Chinese gooseberry.”

From Salon

Back in the 1970s, the Chinese gooseberry went global — cultivated in New Zealand and shipped to the world — after being rechristened as the friendlier kiwi.

From New York Times