First Known Use: 14th century
Dictionary
barberry
noun bar·ber·ry \ˈbär-ˌber-ē, -ˌbe-rē\
Definition of BARBERRY
: any of a genus (Berberis of the family Berberidaceae, the barberry family) of shrubs usually having spines, usually yellow flowers, and oblong red or blackish berries
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Origin of BARBERRY
Middle English berberie, from Medieval Latin berberis, from Arabic barbārīs
Rhymes with BARBERRY
baneberry, bayberry, bearberry, bilberry, blackberry, black cherry, blaeberry, blueberry, Bradbury, bunchberry, Burberry, canary, chokeberry, chokecherry, cloudberry, contrary, costmary, cowberry, cranberry, crowberry, deerberry, equerry, gooseberry, ground-cherry, hackberry, Hail Mary, inkberry, Juneberry, knobkerrie, library, mulberry, nondairy, pokeberry, primary, raspberry, rosemary, scalare, shadberry, snowberry, soapberry, strawberry, summary, sweet cherry, teaberry, tilbury, tooth fairy, twinberry, unwary, vagary, wheat berry, wolfberry, youngberry
Medical Dictionary
barberry
noun bar·ber·ry \ˈbär-ˌber-ē, British often & US sometimes -b(ə-)rē\
plural bar·ber·ries
Medical Definition of BARBERRY
1
: any shrub of the genus Berberis
2
a : an evergreen shrub of the genus Mahonia (especially M. aquifolium) b : berberis 2
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