chokeberry

American  

[chohk-ber-ee, -buh-ree] / ˈtʃoʊkˌbɛr i, -bə ri /

noun

plural

chokeberries

1. the berrylike fruit of any North American shrub of the genus Aronia, of the rose family, especially A. arbutifolia red chokeberry, A. melanocarpa black chokeberry, or A. prunifolia purple chokeberry.

2. the plant that bears this fruit.

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chokeberry British  

/ -brɪ, ˈtʃəʊkbərɪ /

noun

1. any of various North American rosaceous shrubs of the genus Aronia

2. the red or purple bitter fruit of any of these shrubs

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Etymology

Origin of chokeberry

An Americanism dating back to 1770–80; choke + berry

Compare meaning

How does chokeberry compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• chokecherry vs. chokeberry

Example Sentences

When those gatherings finally happen, “spirit plates” — with the ancestors’ favorite foods, such as fried ribs, chokeberry jams and roasted buffalo — are served for attendees.

From New York Times • Jul. 31, 2021

On the contrary they eat the most undesirable of the wild fruit, chokeberry, pokeberry, Virginia creeper, bitter-sweet and sumac, as well as large quantities of ragweed seeds.

From Checking the Waste A Study in Conservation by Gregory, Mary Huston

She afterwards discovered that the pink juice of chokeberry did very well for lips, cheeks, and gay dresses.

From Brave Men and Women Their Struggles, Failures, And Triumphs by Fuller, O. E. (Osgood Eaton)