gooseberry

noun

goose·​ber·​ry ˈgüs-ˌber-ē How to pronounce gooseberry (audio)
ˈgüz-,
-b(ə-)rē,
 chiefly British  ˈgu̇z-
1
a
: the acid usually prickly fruit of any of several shrubs (genus Ribes, especially R. hirtellum of the U.S. and R. uva-crispa of Europe) grouped especially formerly in the saxifrage family but now often placed in a separate family (Grossulariaceae, the gooseberry family)
b
: a shrub bearing gooseberries
2

Illustration of gooseberry

Illustration of gooseberry
  • leaves and fruit

Examples of gooseberry in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Chef Will Gilson makes excellent use of scallops’ briny, milky texture with a crudo drizzled in brown butter, with flashes of flavor from gooseberries and spicy jalapeño. Todd Plummer, Condé Nast Traveler, 13 Feb. 2024 During the summer, his galettes incorporated local gooseberries, peaches, plums and raspberries. Anne Brockhoff, Kansas City Star, 30 Jan. 2024 Apples, pears, plums, cherries, currants, gooseberries, and more can all be trained as cordons and pruned to maintain this form. Elizabeth Waddington, Treehugger, 25 July 2023 The gooseberry bush is exploding with bright yellow fruit, and their 3-year-old son, Isaac, skips barefoot to investigate a pear tree that flowers next to kale, carrots, lemon balm, and strawberries. Alfredo Sosa, The Christian Science Monitor, 1 Dec. 2023 The hero ingredient of this product is Amla (also known as Indian gooseberry), which is an antioxidant-rich superfood that has been known to help treat baldness and hair thinning. Alyssa Brascia, Peoplemag, 28 Oct. 2023 Ground cherries go by several nicknames, such as cape gooseberries, husk tomatoes, and poha berry. Susan Brownstein, cleveland, 12 Sep. 2023 After a main course of River Test trout, lemon cake with elderflower cream and gooseberries was served for dessert. Stephanie Petit, Peoplemag, 25 Aug. 2023 Also team trichome: passion fruit, lychees, and gooseberries. Sarra Sedghi, Bon Appétit, 17 July 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'gooseberry.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1573, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of gooseberry was in 1573

Dictionary Entries Near gooseberry

Cite this Entry

“Gooseberry.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gooseberry. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

gooseberry

noun
goose·​ber·​ry ˈgüs-ˌber-ē How to pronounce gooseberry (audio)
ˈgüz-
: the acid usually prickly fruit of any of several shrubs related to the currant

More from Merriam-Webster on gooseberry

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