serviceberry

American  

[sur-vis-ber-ee] / ˈsɜr vɪsˌbɛr i /

noun

plural

serviceberries

1. the fruit of any service tree.

2. a North American shrub or small tree, Amelanchier canadensis, of the rose family, having serrate, oblong leaves, clusters of white flowers,and a berrylike fruit.

3. any of various other plants of the genus Amelanchier.

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serviceberry British  

/ ˈsɜːvɪsˌbɛrɪ /

noun

1. Also called: shadbush.  any of various North American rosaceous trees or shrubs of the genus Amelanchier, esp A. canadensis, which has white flowers and edible purplish berries

2. the fruit of any of these plants

3. the fruit of the service tree

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Etymology

Origin of serviceberry

An Americanism dating back to 1775–85; service ² + berry

Example Sentences

Also, I must ask: What is a serviceberry?

From Salon • Sep. 4, 2024

Native tribes prized serviceberry for its hard, straight-grained wood, which they used to construct hand tools, like digging sticks and fish rakes.

From Seattle Times • Jan. 7, 2023

Standing in a patch of bitterroot, serviceberry and sage at the foot of Elk Mountain, Mr. Hettick called apps such as OnX “the best thing that’s happened to access in years.”

From New York Times • Nov. 26, 2022

I was thinking of this the other day, when I came across a serviceberry used as a street tree and loaded with delicious fruit.

From Washington Post • Jun. 1, 2021

A small nest of shredded juniper bark, and a few leaves of serviceberry, were found inside the log.

From Comparative Ecology of Pinyon Mice and Deer Mice in Mesa Verde National Park, Colorado by Douglas, Charles L.