barberry (redirected from European barberries)

bar·ber·ry  (bärbr)

n.

Any of various shrubs of the genus Berberis having leaves that are often clustered, small yellow flowers, and red, orange, or blackish berries. They are grown as specimen or hedge plants.

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[Middle English berberie, from Medieval Latin berberis.]

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barberry [ˈbɑːbərɪ]

n pl -ries

1. (Life Sciences & Allied Applications / Plants) any spiny berberidaceous shrub of the widely distributed genus Berberis, esp B. vulgaris, having clusters of yellow flowers and orange or red berries: widely cultivated as hedge plants

2. (Life Sciences & Allied Applications / Plants) the fruit of any of these plants

[from Old French berberis, from Arabic barbāris]

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

barberry - any of numerous plants of the genus Berberis having prickly stems and yellow flowers followed by small red berries Berberis, genus Berberis - large genus of shrubs of temperate zones of New and Old Worlds American barberry, Berberis canadensis - deciduous shrub of eastern North America whose leaves turn scarlet in autumn and having racemes of yellow flowers followed by ellipsoid glossy red berries Berberis vulgaris, common barberry, European barberry - upright deciduous European shrub widely naturalized in United States having clusters of juicy berries Berberis thunbergii, Japanese barberry - compact deciduous shrub having persistent red berries; widespread in cultivation especially for hedges bush, shrub - a low woody perennial plant usually having several major stems