hackberry

American  

[hak-ber-ee, -buh-ree] / ˈhækˌbɛr i, -bə ri /

noun

PLURAL

hackberries

1. any of several trees or shrubs belonging to the genus Celtis, of the elm family, bearing cherrylike fruit.

2. the sometimes edible fruit of such a tree.

3. the wood of such a tree.

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hackberry British  

/ ˈhækˌbɛrɪ /

noun

1. any American tree or shrub of the ulmaceous genus Celtis, having edible cherry-like fruits

2. the fruit or soft yellowish wood of such a tree

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Etymology

Origin of hackberry

1775–85, variant of hagberry (of Scandinavian origin)

Example Sentences

In one section of the Lower Rio Grande Valley National Wildlife Refuge, crews have used heavy construction equipment to destroy a mix of trees, including mesquite, mulberry and hackberry.

From Washington Post

“It was nothing but scrub trees, chinaberry and hackberry.”

From Washington Times

Tree species favored for the animals include birch, elm, hackberry, honey locust, linden, mulberry and willow.

From Washington Times

The mixed oak/hackberry woodlands found on the property’s chenier ridges are crucial resting/feeding stations for swarms of songbirds that pass through the area on spring and autumn migrations.

From Washington Times

On a windswept hill on the cemetery’s southern fringes, Huse pointed out a dwarf hackberry tree that is the co-champion in size in Virginia.

From Washington Post