bittersweet (redirected from bitter-sweet)

bit·ter·sweet  (btr-swt)

n.

1. A woody vine of the genus Celastrus, especially the North American species C. scandens and the eastern Asian species C. orbiculata, having small, round, yellow-orange fruits that open at maturity to expose red seeds. Also called staff tree.

2. See bittersweet nightshade.

3. A dark to deep reddish orange.

adj.

1. Bitter and sweet at the same time: bittersweet chocolate.

2. Producing or expressing a mixture of pain and pleasure: a movie with a bittersweet ending.

3. Dark to deep reddish-orange.

---

[After its roots, which are said to taste bitter, then sweet when chewed.]

---

bittersweet [ˈbɪtəˌswiːt]

n

1. (Life Sciences & Allied Applications / Plants) any of several North American woody climbing plants of the genus Celastrus, esp C. scandens, having orange capsules that open to expose scarlet-coated seeds: family Celastraceae

2. (Life Sciences & Allied Applications / Plants) another name for woody nightshade

adj

1. tasting of or being a mixture of bitterness and sweetness

2. pleasant but tinged with sadness

Thesaurus

Noun	1.	bittersweet - poisonous perennial Old World vine having violet flowers and oval coral-red berries; widespread weed in North America bittersweet nightshade, climbing nightshade, poisonous nightshade, Solanum dulcamara, woody nightshade, deadly nightshade genus Solanum, Solanum - type genus of the Solanaceae: nightshade; potato; eggplant; bittersweet nightshade - any of numerous shrubs or herbs or vines of the genus Solanum; most are poisonous though many bear edible fruit
	2.	bittersweet - twining shrub of North America having yellow capsules enclosing scarlet seeds American bittersweet, Celastrus scandens, climbing bittersweet, false bittersweet, shrubby bittersweet, staff vine, waxwork Celastrus, genus Celastrus - genus of woody vines and erect shrubs (type genus of the Celastraceae) that is native chiefly to Asia and Australia: includes bittersweet vine - a plant with a weak stem that derives support from climbing, twining, or creeping along a surface
Adj.	1.	bittersweet - tinged with sadness; "a movie with a bittersweet ending" sad - experiencing or showing sorrow or unhappiness; "feeling sad because his dog had died"; "Better by far that you should forget and smile / Than that you should remember and be sad"- Christina Rossetti
	2.	bittersweet - having a taste that is a mixture of bitterness and sweetness semisweet tasty - pleasing to the sense of taste; "a tasty morsel"

Translations

bittersweet [ˈbɪtəswiːt] ADJ (lit, fig) → agridulce

bittersweet [ˌbɪtə^rˈswiːt] adj → aigre-doux*(douce)

bittersweet

adj (lit, fig) → bittersüß

n (Bot) → Kletternder Baumwürger; (= nightshade) → Bittersüßer Nachtschatten

bittersweet [ˈbɪtəˌswiːt] adj (taste) → agrodolce; (love affair) → dolceamaro/a

---

bittersweet [ˈbɪtəˌswiːt] adj (taste) → agrodolce; (love affair) → dolceamaro/a