soapberry

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

noun,plural soap·ber·ries.
  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.

Origin of soapberry

1
First recorded in 1685–95; soap + berry

Words Nearby soapberry

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

British Dictionary definitions for soapberry

soapberry

/ (ˈsəʊpˌbɛrɪ) /


nounplural -ries
  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

  1. the fruit of any of these trees

  • Also called: chinaberry

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