gooseberry

American  

[goos-ber-ee, -buh-ree, gooz-] / ˈgusˌbɛr i, -bə ri, ˈguz- /

noun

• gooseberries
  plural

1. the edible, acid, globular, sometimes spiny fruit of certain prickly shrubs belonging to the genus Ribes, of the saxifrage family, especially R. uva-crispa (orR. grossularia ).

2. a shrub bearing this fruit.

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gooseberry British  

/ ˈɡʊzbərɪ, -brɪ /

noun

1. a Eurasian shrub, Ribes uva-crispa (or R. grossularia ), having greenish, purple-tinged flowers and ovoid yellow-green or red-purple berries: family Grossulariaceae See also currant

2. 1. the berry of this plant

   2. ( as modifier )

      gooseberry jam

3. informal an unwanted single person in a group of couples, esp a third person with a couple (often in the phrase play gooseberry )

4. a tropical American solanaceous plant, Physalis peruviana, naturalized in southern Africa, having yellow flowers and edible yellow berries See also ground cherry

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• gooseberries
  plural

Etymology

Origin of gooseberry

First recorded in 1525–35; goose + berry

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

gooseberry gooseberries

Eventually, if all goes as hoped, patches of Gary oak, desert gooseberry, and mock orange will take hold and a lush ribbon of cottonwood, willow, and ash trees will line the banks of the river.

From Science Magazine ● Oct. 18, 2023

Rushing to an appointment, she walks through gooseberry bushes, only to be scolded by Ma Ginger on the grounds that she "hasn't lived here as long."

From Salon ● Apr. 30, 2023

Light-bodied, racy acidity with the characteristic grassy, gooseberry flavors of New Zealand savvie.

From Washington Post ● Jan. 13, 2022

"There was no point asking him what he wanted. It was always fish and chips, a gooseberry pancake and cup of tea. I think he had a genuine fear of things he couldn't control."

From BBC ● Sep. 4, 2021

The risen moon was framed snugly in the high, small window of Penelope’s room, like one of Mrs. Clarke’s fresh-baked gooseberry pies tucked inside a pie box.

From "The Long-Lost Home" by Maryrose Wood

Hiking through the Wishbone area last summer, advocates noted cedar, hemlock, maple, cottonwood and alder trees, as well as huckleberries, gooseberries and devil’s club plants.

From Seattle Times ● Apr. 2, 2024

Spicy green mango is a staple of achar throughout India, though you'll also find achars made from carrots, gooseberries, lemons and limes while scouring the country's infinite, technicolor markets.

From Salon ● Mar. 15, 2023

The once-popular description of New Zealand sauvignon blanc as “cat pee on a gooseberry bush” had Americans flummoxed, because we mostly don’t eat gooseberries.

From Washington Post ● Aug. 13, 2021

He recommends gooseberries, though any other fruit will do.

From The Guardian ● Apr. 28, 2020

“But there is nobody to touch you for baking with gooseberries Even those of us who’ve never had a taste have heard. Word gets around.”

From "A Long Way from Chicago" by Richard Peck