serviceberry

[ sur-vis-ber-ee ]

noun

, plural serv·ice·ber·ries.

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.

serviceberry

/ ˈsɜːvɪsˌbɛrɪ /

noun

1. Also calledshadbush 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

Word History and Origins

Origin of serviceberry¹

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

Example Sentences

At Heidi’s house, she looks out into the front yard at the young serviceberry trees, which arrived after her sister’s death.

From Washington Post

Heidi chose a serviceberry tree that would eventually produce leaves that would turn a brilliant orange in the fall — her favorite color.

From Washington Post

He'll sit on his haunches before a serviceberry tree, bend the branches with his paws, and eat off the red fruit wholesale.

From Project Gutenberg

Thickets of Gambel oak and Utah serviceberry cover many hillsides and form a zone of brush at higher elevations in the park.

From Project Gutenberg

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

From Project Gutenberg

The woodcut began with a drawing in pen-and-ink on the plank surface of a smooth-grained wood such as pear, serviceberry, or box.

From Project Gutenberg

In his eyes was the vision of nest and mate, where the serviceberry thicket grew by the wide sub-arctic waters.

From Project Gutenberg