soapberry

American  

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

noun

soapberries plural

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

2. the tree itself.

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soapberry British  

/ ˈsəʊpˌbɛrɪ /

noun

1. any of various chiefly tropical American sapindaceous trees of the genus Sapindus, esp S. saponaria (or S. marginatus ), having pulpy fruit containing saponin

2. a related plant, S. drummondii, of the southwestern US

3. the fruit of any of these trees

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• soapberries
  plural

Etymology

Origin of soapberry

First recorded in 1685–95; soap + berry

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

soapberry soapberries

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

Most of the best gathering grounds on the western side of the reservation - including huckleberries, soapberries, strawberries, chokecherries and medicinal plants - were destroyed.

From Washington Times ● Nov. 29, 2015

Then as now, the Northwest Coast, thick with fruit and fruits de mer, was a gatherer’s paradise: wild strawberries, wild blueberries, soapberries, huckleberries, thimbleberries, salmonberries; clams, cockles, mussels, oysters; flounder, hake, salmon.

From "1491" by Charles C. Mann