crowberry

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

noun

, plural crow·ber·ries.

1. the black or reddish berry of a heathlike, evergreen shrub, Empetrum nigrum, of northern regions.
2. the plant itself.
3. any of certain other fruits or the plants bearing similar berries, as the bearberry.

crowberry

/ ˈkrəʊbərɪ; -brɪ /

noun

1. a low-growing N temperate evergreen shrub, Empetrum nigrum, with small purplish flowers and black berry-like fruit: family Empetraceae
2. any of several similar or related plants
3. the fruit of any of these plants

Word History and Origins

Origin of crowberry¹

1590–1600; crow ¹ + berry, probably translation of German Krähenbeere

Example Sentences

Bishop John taught the people to prepare wine from the crowberry (krkiberium), as he himself had been instructed by King Sverrer.

From Project Gutenberg

Galway, from a caterpillar found at a bog in the vicinity, where crowberry grows abundantly.

From Project Gutenberg

The crowberry is very abundant about Fort Churchill and northward.

From Project Gutenberg

They seemed to be feeding to some extent on the patches of crowberry and dwarf birch.

From Project Gutenberg