blackberry

¹ American  

[blak-ber-ee, -buh-ree] / ˈblækˌbɛr i, -bə ri /

noun

plural

blackberries

1. the fruit, black or very dark purple when ripe, of certain species of the genus Rubus.

2. the plant itself.

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BlackBerry ² American  

[blak-ber-ee, -buh-ree] / ˈblækˌbɛr i, -bə ri /

Trademark.

1. a brand of smartphone optimized for wireless email.

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blackberry ¹ British  

/ ˈblækbərɪ /

noun

1. Also called: bramble.  any of several woody plants of the rosaceous genus Rubus , esp R. fruticosus , that have thorny stems and black or purple glossy edible berry-like fruits (drupelets)

2. 1. the fruit of any of these plants

   2. ( as modifier )

      blackberry jam

3. an ornamental Chinese iridaceous plant, Belamcanda chinensis , that has red-spotted orange flowers and clusters of black seeds that resemble blackberries

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verb

1. (intr) to gather blackberries

BlackBerry ² British  

noun

1. a hand-held device for sending and receiving e-mail

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Other Word Forms

• blackberrylike adjective

Etymology

Origin of blackberry

before 1000; Middle English blakeberie, Old English blaceberie. See black, berry

Example Sentences

There were wild blackberries and raspberries blanketing the hillsides, and vestiges of old fruit orchards.

From The Wall Street Journal

Generous hunks of vanilla bean dot her lemon marmalade; bay leaf infuses her blackberry jam.

From The Wall Street Journal

Then there’s the less technical, but equally relevant sensory experience each perfume evokes: a pear orchard in the fall or a bucket of blackberries on a hot summer day.

From The Wall Street Journal

Its core is all plush red and dark fruit, and aromas of blackberry and spice.

From The Wall Street Journal

Clearly, optimism can be a very fine trait, with the power to turn lemons into lemonade, apples into blackberries, and so forth.

From Literature