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.

---

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

---

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

This possesses herbal and nutty tones on the palate alongside a good concentration of gooseberry and kiwi fruit flavors — nice texture.

From Seattle Times ● Jun. 4, 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

All Indians have dozens of pickles at their disposal: assorted or mixed pickles, lime, chili, gooseberry — the list goes on.

From Salon ● Apr. 8, 2022

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

From Washington Post ● Jan. 13, 2022

A pair of Dobermans peered nervously from a gooseberry hedge.

From "The Ear, the Eye, and the Arm" by Nancy Farmer

In the 1850s, in a determined effort to create a fruit industry for the Southeast, horticulturists began a selective breeding campaign for peaches and other fruits, including wine grapes, pears, apples and gooseberries.

From Salon ● Jun. 8, 2023

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

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

The pie in my hands would win first prize since nobody but Grandma would take a chance with gooseberries.

From "A Long Way from Chicago" by Richard Peck