whortleberry

American  

[hwur-tl-ber-ee, wur-] / ˈʰwɜr tlˌbɛr i, ˈwɜr- /

noun

plural

whortleberries

1. the edible black berry of a Eurasian shrub, Vaccinium myrtillus, of the heath family.

2. the shrub itself.

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whortleberry British  

/ ˈwɜːtəlˌbɛrɪ /

noun

1. Also called : huckleberry.   hurt.   whort.  a small Eurasian ericaceous shrub, Vaccinium myrtillus , greenish-pink flowers and edible sweet blackish berries

2. the fruit of this shrub

3. a related plant, V. uliginosum, of mountain regions, having pink flowers and black fruits

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Etymology

Origin of whortleberry

First recorded in 1570–80; dialectal variant of hurtleberry

Example Sentences

Mr. Glass continued in an interrogative vein as mordant as the whortleberry juice of his beautiful homeland.

From Time Magazine Archive

For the most part it was covered with a thick growth of gorse and whortleberry, and low tough thorns, though here and there clearings opened, the scars of recent fires.

From "The Two Towers" by J. R. R. Tolkien

Fay leaned out of the pony carriage and picked from the high bank a spray of whortleberry with a butterfly poised on it.

From Prisoners Fast Bound In Misery And Iron by Cholmondeley, Mary

Under our feet was the purple heath with great patches of whortleberry, that tiny shrub that bears the little purply grey fruit.

From Patience Wins War in the Works by Fenn, George Manville

It consisted of oatmeal biscuits, Gruyère cheese, whortleberry jam, and chocolate; and there is little doubt that these six adventurers “ate as one eats in the springtime of youth.”

From Fridtjof Nansen A book for the young by Bull, Jacob B.