thimbleberry

[ thim-buhl-ber-ee ]

noun

, plural thim·ble·ber·ries.

1. any of several American raspberries bearing a thimble-shaped fruit, especially the black raspberry, Rubus occidentalis.

Word History and Origins

Origin of thimbleberry¹

An Americanism dating back to 1780–90; thimble + berry

Example Sentences

Succulent, peachy salmonberries and velvety thimbleberry bush fronds flank the entrance to the trail, blanketed in soft shade from the outstretched limbs of towering Western red cedar, Douglas fir and hemlock.

From Seattle Times

Chicory, St. John’s wort, thimbleberries and other plants and herbs grow wild on the property.

From New York Times

In summer, I gorged on blackberries, delicately picked bright red thimbleberries and, when their pink blossoms fell, hunted for the electric hue of salmonberries.

From Washington Post

June burst into bloom—daisies, larkspur, meadowsweet and thyme, foxglove and thimbleberry, purple thistle flowers, and yellow whorls of blooming fennel.

From Literature

"I've been in those woods several years so I knew huckleberries and thimbleberries were safe and grasshoppers as well," he said.

From Fox News