soapberry

American

[sohp-ber-ee, -buh-ree] / ˈsoʊpˌbɛr i, -bə ri /

noun

plural

soapberries

the fruit of any of certain tropical or subtropical trees of the genus Sapindus, especially S. saponaria, used as a substitute for soap.
the tree itself.

soapberry British

/ ˈsəʊpˌbɛrɪ /

noun

any of various chiefly tropical American sapindaceous trees of the genus Sapindus, esp S. saponaria (or S. marginatus ), having pulpy fruit containing saponin
a related plant, S. drummondii, of the southwestern US
the fruit of any of these trees

"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

Etymology

Origin of soapberry

First recorded in 1685–95; soap + berry

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

In place of this, they use the seed or roots of the soapberry tree.

From Little Journey to Puerto Rico For Intermediate and Upper Grades by George, Marian Minnie

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023