gooseberry

American  

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

noun

plural

gooseberries

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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Etymology

Origin of gooseberry

First recorded in 1525–35; goose + berry

Example Sentences

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

Expect gooseberry, pink grapefruit and minerality thanks to the caliche soils these vines grow in.

From Seattle Times • Oct. 28, 2020

“Scoot uptown and bring me a twenty-five-pound sack of sugar. Tell them to stick it on my bill. After that I want every gooseberry off them bushes out back.”

From "A Long Way from Chicago" by Richard Peck