hackberry (redirected from North American hackberries)

hack·ber·ry  (hkbr)

n. In all senses also called sugarberry.

1. Any of various trees or shrubs of the genus Celtis, having inconspicuous flowers and small, usually ovoid drupes.

2. The fruit of such a plant.

3. The soft yellowish wood of these trees or shrubs.

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[Alteration of obsolete hagberry, hegberry : hag-, heg-, hackberry (from Old Norse heggr) + berry.]

Thesaurus

Noun	1.	hackberry - any of various trees of the genus Celtis having inconspicuous flowers and small berrylike fruits nettle tree Celtis, genus Celtis - large genus of trees and shrubs with berrylike fruit Celtis australis, European hackberry, Mediterranean hackberry - bright green deciduous shade tree of southern Europe American hackberry, Celtis occidentalis - large deciduous shade tree of southern United States with small deep purple berries Celtis laevigata, sugarberry - deciduous shade tree with small black berries; southern United States; yields soft yellowish wood tree - a tall perennial woody plant having a main trunk and branches forming a distinct elevated crown; includes both gymnosperms and angiosperms
	2.	hackberry - small edible dark purple to black berry with large pits; southern United States sugarberry berry - any of numerous small and pulpy edible fruits; used as desserts or in making jams and jellies and preserves