bearberry

[ bair-ber-ee, -buh-ree ]

noun

, plural bear·ber·ries.

1. any of several prostrate shrubs belonging to the genus Arctostaphylos, of the heath family, especially A. uva-ursi, having tonic, astringent leaves and bright-red berries.
2. cascara.
3. possum haw ( def ).
4. any of several other plants, as some species of cranberry.

bearberry

/ ˈbɛəbərɪ /

noun

1. a trailing evergreen ericaceous shrub, Arctostaphylos uva-ursi , with small pinkish-white flowers, red berries, and astringent leaves
2. alpine bearberry or black bearberry
   a related species, A. alpina of European mountains, having black berries

Word History and Origins

Origin of bearberry¹

First recorded in 1615–25; bear ² + berry

Example Sentences

Arctostaphylos (bearberry) and Andromeda are arctic and alpine genera occurring in Britain.

From Project Gutenberg

Uva Ursi (Bearberry Leaves), leaves of red whortleberry, and others.

From Project Gutenberg

Etienne was some distance away gathering bearberry leaves to dry and mix with his smoking tobacco to make kinni-kinnik.

From Project Gutenberg

There they dined on blueberries, and slept on thick beds of moss and low growing blueberry and bearberry plants.

From Project Gutenberg

He was out of tobacco, but used bearberry leaves and willow bark in his pipe.

From Project Gutenberg