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pokeberry

[pohk-ber-ee, -buh-ree]
noun, plural poke·ber·ries.
  1. the berry of the pokeweed.
  2. the plant.
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Origin of pokeberry

An Americanism dating back to 1765–75; poke4 + berry
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for pokeberry

Historical Examples

  • The rascal had not used his own blood, but a red powder and the juice of the pokeberry.

    Bolanyo

    Opie Percival Read

  • Wild fruits such as grape and pokeberry also showed up in trace amounts.

  • Lower still, the fleshy leaves of the pokeberry were all carmine-purple above and Tyrian rose beneath.

    Wild Folk

    Samuel Scoville

  • It wore a gay pink calico dress, and its cheeks were stained red with pokeberry juice.

    Boys and Girls of Colonial Days

    Carolyn Sherwin Bailey

  • In washing next morning I was off my guard, and got rid of the most of my pokeberry juice.

    Hugh Wynne, Free Quaker

    S. Weir Mitchell

British Dictionary definitions for pokeberry

pokeberry

noun plural -berries
  1. Also called: inkberry the berry of the pokeweed
  2. another name for the pokeweed
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Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012