whortleberry

[ hwur-tl-ber-ee, wur- ]

noun

, plural whor·tle·ber·ries.

1. the edible black berry of a Eurasian shrub, Vaccinium myrtillus, of the heath family.
2. the shrub itself.

whortleberry

/ ˈwɜːtəlˌbɛrɪ /

noun

1. Also called huckleberrydialecthurtwhort a small Eurasian ericaceous shrub, Vaccinium myrtillus , greenish-pink flowers and edible sweet blackish berries
2. the fruit of this shrub
3. bog whortleberry
   a related plant, V. uliginosum, of mountain regions, having pink flowers and black fruits

Word History and Origins

Origin of whortleberry¹

First recorded in 1570–80; dialectal variant of hurtleberry

Word History and Origins

Origin of whortleberry¹

C16: southwestern English dialect form of hurtleberry; of unknown origin

Example Sentences

"We might almost have known you were coming,” laughs my sister, "there is just your favourite dish, potato-cakes, and even whortleberries to go with them too.”

From Literature

The heroes are rewritten in sly anecdotes – “Scott stares at the Christmas tree”; they write mordant diary entries – “the drudgery of courage”; or “dream of whortleberry jam”.

From The Guardian

For the most part it was covered with a thick growth of gorse and whortleberry, and low tough thorns, though here and there clearings opened, the scars of recent fires.

From Literature

The cove had fields of considerable extent, covered with dwarf willows, juniper berry, black crakeberry, and whortleberry heath, with many patches of fine grass.

From Project Gutenberg

The undergrowth consists of honeysuckle, alder, whortleberry, a plant like the mountain-holly, green brier, and fern.

From Project Gutenberg