Definify.com
Webster 1913 Edition
Gooseberry
Goose′ber-ry
,Noun.
pl.
Gooseberries
(#)
, [Corrupted for ]
groseberry
or groiseberry
, fr. OF. groisele
, F. groseille
, – of German origin; cf. G. krausbeere
, kräuselbeere
(fr. kraus
crisp), D. kruisbes
, kruisbezie
(as if crossberry
, fr. kruis
cross; for kroesbes
, kroesbezie
, fr. kroes
crisp), Sw. krusbär
(fr. krus
, krusing
, crisp). The first part of the word is perh. akin to E. curl
. Cf. Grossular
, Adj.
1.
(Bot.)
Any thorny shrub of the genus
Ribes
; also, the edible berries of such shrub. There are several species, of which Ribes Grossularia
is the one commonly cultivated. 2.
A silly person; a goose cap.
Goldsmith.
Barbadoes gooseberry
, a climbing prickly shrub (
– Pereskia aculeata
) of the West Indies, which bears edible berries resembling gooseberries. Coromandel gooseberry
. See
– Carambola
. Gooseberry fool
. See 1st
– Fool
. Gooseberry worm
(Zool.)
, the larva of a small moth (
Dakruma convolutella
). It destroys the gooseberry by eating the interior.Webster 1828 Edition
Gooseberry
GOOSEBERRY
,Noun.
The fruit of a shrub, and the shrub itself, the Ribes grossularia. The shrub is armed with spines. Of the fruit there are several varieties.
The American gooseberry belongs to the genus Melastoma, and the West Indian, gooseberry to the genus Cactus.
Definition 2024
gooseberry
gooseberry
English
gooseberry fruit (Ribes uva-crispa)
Noun
gooseberry (plural gooseberries)
- A fruit, Ribes uva-crispa, closely related to the currant.
- We had a good haul of gooseberries from our bushes this year.
- Ribes hirtellum, the closely related American gooseberry.
- Any of several other plants that are not closely related but bear fruit in some way similar:
- the Chinese gooseberry or kiwifruit, the edible berry of a cultivar group of the woody vine Actinidia deliciosa and hybrids between this and other species in the genus Actinidia
- the Indian gooseberry, Phyllanthus emblica, emblic, amla.
- the Ceylon gooseberry, a species of Dovyalis native to Sri Lanka and southern India
- the Barbados gooseberry, Pereskia aculeata, an unusual cactus
- The Long Key locustberry or shiny locustberry, Byrsonima lucida
- Jamaican gooseberry tree, Phyllanthus acuminatus, a herb-like plant
- star gooseberry
- Otaheite gooseberry, Phyllanthus acidus
- Katuk, Sauropus androgynus, a shrub grown in some tropical regions as a leaf vegetable
- Physalis angulata, also called balloon cherry and cutleaf groundcherry
- Cape gooseberry, Physalis peruviana, indigenous to South America
- poison gooseberry, Withania somnifera
- (dated, British slang) A chaperone.[1]
- (chiefly Britain) An additional person who is neither necessary nor wanted in a given situation.
- 1915, Lucy Maud Montgomery, Anne of the Island, Chapter VI:
- "But," said Philippa dolefully, "if I go I'll have to be gooseberry, and that will be a new experience for Philippa Gordon."
- "Well, new experiences are broadening. Come along, and you'll be able to sympathize with all poor souls who have to play gooseberry often.
- Robert and Susan were so in love with each other that nobody could go near them without feeling like a gooseberry.
- 1915, Lucy Maud Montgomery, Anne of the Island, Chapter VI:
- (dated, British slang) A fool.[1]
- (dated, British slang) A fantastic story; a tall tale; a hoax.[1][2]
- (dated, British slang, vulgar, chiefly in the plural) A testicle.[1]
Synonyms
- (fruit): goosegog (UK informal)
- (additional person): third wheel, fifth wheel
- (fool): see Wikisaurus:fool
- (testicle): see Wikisaurus:testicles
Derived terms
- gooseberry-eyed
- gooseberry-grinder
- gooseberry lay
- gooseberry rust
- gooseberry season
- gooseberry tart
- gooseberry-picker
- gooseberry pudding
- gooseberry wig
- do gooseberry
- giant gooseberry
- Old Gooseberry
- pick gooseberry
- play gooseberry
Translations
fruit
|
|
additional person
|
|