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

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

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

This year, several new fruits made their debut, including purple gooseberries, which taste almost like grape-flavored candy, Davis said, and aronia berries, which are considered one of the richest sources of plant antioxidants.

From Seattle Times ● Sep. 8, 2023

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 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

Alas, there were simply not enough gooseberries on hand to make that many pies.

From "The Long-Lost Home" by Maryrose Wood