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
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See Examples For:
Or maybe they just have an effective rebrand, as did the kiwi — formerly called the Chinese gooseberry.
From Salon ● Aug. 14, 2024
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
Light-bodied, racy acidity with the characteristic grassy, gooseberry flavors of New Zealand savvie.
From Washington Post ● Jan. 13, 2022
Owen: The nose shows bright green bell pepper and dried herbs with gooseberry tones.
From Seattle Times ● Dec. 16, 2021
Was he responsible for the other gooseberry pie?
From "A Long Way from Chicago" by Richard Peck
It’s mostly fir trees, but Oliver also pointed out cedar, hemlock, maple, cottonwood and alder trees of varying heights as he bushwhacked through Wednesday, plus huckleberries, gooseberries and devil’s club plants.
From Seattle Times ● Jul. 29, 2023
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 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
Wash the gooseberries and cut off the little brown tops.
From The Guardian ● Aug. 17, 2019
As Mrs. Weidenbach said, gooseberries are tricky things—sour to the taste and spikey with stickers.
From "A Long Way from Chicago" by Richard Peck
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