pokeberry

[pohk-ber-ee, -buh-ree]

noun

plural

pokeberries 

1. the berry of the pokeweed.

2. the plant.

pokeberry

/ ˈpəʊkbərɪ /

noun

1. Also called: inkberry. the berry of the pokeweed

2. another name for the pokeweed

Word History and Origins

Origin of pokeberry¹

An Americanism dating back to 1765–75; poke ⁴ + berry

Example Sentences

From the OPI Strawberry Margarita nail polish she wore to her Refinery29 interview to the berry-colored shades she said she used to derive from poisonous pokeberry plants in her youth, which she reportedly used as a lip stain and nail tint.

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“Pokeberry ink was most famously used by Civil War soldiers to write love notes.”

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“I have a garbage bag full of pokeweed in my studio! I swear, I just wrote on my calendar, ‘Learn how to make pokeberry dye.’

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We’re introduced to Benjamin Lay, who in 1738 exhorted his fellow Quakers to renounce slavery in a dramatic speech involving a hollowed-out Bible and a pig’s bladder filled with crimson pokeberry juice.

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It was as red as pokeberry juice and anything that color was supposed to be healthy.

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