hackberry

noun

hack·​ber·​ry ˈhak-ˌber-ē How to pronounce hackberry (audio)
: any of a genus (Celtis) of trees and shrubs of the elm family with small often edible berries
also : its wood

Examples of hackberry in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Big sycamore, cottonwood, willow, ash and hackberry trees grow along the river. Roger Naylor, The Arizona Republic, 7 Mar. 2024 The cabinet’s top and front are made from a composite, but the sides are local hackberry boards distinguished by a striking vertical crack. Jill Draper, Kansas City Star, 24 Jan. 2024 Flannel moths have been known to feed on many trees and shrubs, like elms, maples, hackberries, hollies, oaks, and sycamores, according to the NC State Extension. Southern Living Editors, Southern Living, 18 Aug. 2023 Mostly open to the sun, the trails pass among mesquite patches, desert hackberry shrubs and sections where runoff from the canal dike fosters lush greenery that attracts wildlife. Mare Czinar, The Arizona Republic, 31 Mar. 2023 Other good plants include Jacob’s ladder, wild strawberry, wild geranium, chokecherry, prairie phlox, golden Alexander, New Jersey tea, cherry trees, dogwoods, blueberry, elderberry, willow and hackberry trees. Jennifer Rude Klett, Journal Sentinel, 20 Apr. 2023 Mulberry has a lot in common with hackberry. Calvin Finch, San Antonio Express-News, 5 Nov. 2021 Lined with wolfberry shrubs and paloverde, mesquite and hackberry trees, the wash meanders in a northeast arch on the preserve’s far northwest edge. Mare Czinar, The Arizona Republic, 2 Mar. 2023 Surrounded by acres of scrub, cactus and spotty stands of junipers, Little Hackberry Wash feeds a slender green corridor of lush mesquite, hackberry and desert willows, many entwined in morning glory and scarlet creeper vines. Mare Czinar, The Arizona Republic, 15 Sep. 2022

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

Word History

Etymology

alteration of hagberry a cherry resembling the chokecherry

First Known Use

1779, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of hackberry was in 1779

Dictionary Entries Near hackberry

Cite this Entry

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

Kids Definition

hackberry

noun
hack·​ber·​ry ˈhak-ˌber-ē How to pronounce hackberry (audio)
1
: any of a genus of trees and shrubs that are related to the elms and have small often edible berries
2
: the wood of a hackberry

More from Merriam-Webster on hackberry

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