elderberry

American  

[el-der-ber-ee, -buh-ree] / ˈɛl dərˌbɛr i, -bə ri /

noun

plural

elderberries

1. the berrylike fruit of the elder, old, used in making wine and jelly.

2. elder.

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elderberry British  

/ ˈɛldəˌbɛrɪ /

noun

1. the berry-like fruit of the elder, used for making wines, jellies, etc

2. another name for elder 1

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Usage

What else does elderberry mean? Elderberries are edible, bluish purple berries popularly used to help fight colds and flus.Elderberries are humorously referenced in a popular quote from the 1975 comedy Monty Python and the Holy Grail: "Your mother was a hamster and your father smelt of elderberries."

Etymology

Origin of elderberry

First recorded in 1400–50, elderberry is from the late Middle English word eldirbery. See elder ², berry

Example Sentences

Built around the metaphor of elderberries, a fruit that can heal or poison depending on how it's handled, the song captures the tension of staying in a relationship you know is toxic.

From BBC

Back before California was settled by Europeans and others, the Miwok and Nisenan subsisted on a hunter-gatherer diet of acorns, venison, salmon, pine nuts, elderberries, and other berries and plants.

From Los Angeles Times

We have passion fruit vines everywhere, and elderberry.

From Los Angeles Times

In February, during a gnarly bout of the flu, I found both comfort and strength in my very first cup of elderberry lemon balm tea.

From Salon

Maybe they garner attention for purported health benefits, as did the native elderberry.

From Salon