gooseberry
Americannoun
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gooseberries
plural
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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 ).
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a shrub bearing this fruit.
noun
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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
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the berry of this plant
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( as modifier )
gooseberry jam
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informal an unwanted single person in a group of couples, esp a third person with a couple (often in the phrase play gooseberry )
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a tropical American solanaceous plant, Physalis peruviana, naturalized in southern Africa, having yellow flowers and edible yellow berries See also ground cherry
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of gooseberry
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
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
"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 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
Saw them on the roof together, near the Owlery with Scorpius playing the gooseberry.
From "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child" by J.K. Rowling
More providentially, the historic records proved to be a culinary gold mine — an Ohlone version of “Joy of Cooking” — brimming with wisdom about chia seeds, venison, gooseberries and other ingredients.
From New York Times ● Dec. 11, 2022
We loved the crudo trio: tuna tartare with miso and injera, hamachi with gooseberries and crispy onions, and berbere-cured salmon, lox-style, in an orange broth.
From Salon ● Sep. 11, 2022
The common so-called “Zante currants” used in recipes such as soda bread are actually raisins, and they are no relation to the Ribes genus of currants and gooseberries.
From Seattle Times ● Jun. 28, 2022
Wash the gooseberries and cut off the little brown tops.
From The Guardian ● Aug. 17, 2019
In the mountain forests, where groups of students were often sent to gather wood, Shin ate wild grapes, gooseberries, and Korean raspberries by the fistful.
From "Escape from Camp 14: One Man's Remarkable Odyssey from North Korea to Freedom in the West" by Blaine Harden
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