First Known Use: circa 1868
Dictionary
berberis
noun ber·ber·is \ˈbər-bər-əs\
Definition of BERBERIS
: barberry
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Origin of BERBERIS
New Latin, the genus including barberry, alteration of Medieval Latin barberis barberry, from Arabic barbārīs
Medical Dictionary
berberis
noun ber·ber·is \ˈbər-bə-rəs\
Medical Definition of BERBERIS
1
capitalized : a large genus of shrubs (family Berberidaceae) that usually have prickly stems, yellow flowers, and red or blackish berries—compare mahonia
2
: the dried rhizome and roots of some barberries of the genus Mahonia (especially M. aquifolium) that contain a number of alkaloids (as berberine and berbamine)
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