barberry

B3A1R1B3E1R1R1Y4
/ˈbɑɹbɛɹi/

noun

Any of the thorny shrubs of genus Berberis, which bear yellow flowers and red or blue-black berries.

Similar
berberis
OriginMiddle English berberie ← Medieval Latin berberis ← Arabic بَرْبَارِيس →
UncommonScrabble 15
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Meanings

barberry1

nounbarberry (plural barberries)

plural barberries

  1. Any of the thorny shrubs of genus Berberis, which bear yellow flowers and red or blue-black berries.
    1 more example

    BOlvs in Engliſh is called a morſell. It is a medicine laxatiue, in forme & faſhion it is meanely whole, & it is ſwallowed by litle gobbets. […] ℞. medulla caſiæ fiſtulæ newly drawen. ℥. j. or ʒ. x. the graines (that is the kernelles) of barbaries. ℈. ß. and with ſugar roſet [sugar compounded with rose petals] make a bole.

    1583, Philip Barrough [i.e., Philip Barrow], “Of Making Bolus”, in The Methode of Phisicke, Conteyning the Causes, Signes, and Cures of Inward Diseases in Mans Body from the Head to the Foote. […], London: […] Thomas Vautroullier […], →OCLC, book VI, page 288

    Synonyms: berberis

  2. The edible fruit of these shrubs.

Barberry2

proper noun
  1. obsoleteObsolete form of Beruwala.

Synonyms & antonyms

nounAny of the thorny shrubs of genus Berberis, which bear yellow flowers and red or blue-black berries.

Similar
berberis
Also see
berberiscommon barberry

Origin

  1. Arabicبَرْبَارِيس
  2. Medieval Latinberberis
  3. Middle Englishberberie
  4. Englishbarberry

From Middle English berberie, from Medieval Latin berberis (on which see Arabic بَرْبَارِيس (barbārīs)), influenced by berie (“berry”). Doublet of berberis and related to Berber.

More words from Middle English, Medieval Latin, Arabic

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Arabic بَرْبَارِيس, زِرِشْك
  • بَرْبَارِيس (barbārīs)Berberis
  • زِرِشْك (zirišk)Berberis
Bulgarian барбари́с
  • барбари́с (barbarís)Berberis
Catalan coralet
  • coraletBerberis
Chinese Mandarin 小檗
  • 小檗 (xiǎobò)Berberis
Dutch zuurbes
  • zuurbesBerberis
Esperanto berberiso
  • berberisoBerberis
Finnish happomarja
  • happomarjaBerberis
French épine-vinette
  • épine-vinetteBerberis
German Berberitze, Sauerdorn
  • BerberitzeBerberis
  • SauerdornBerberis
  • EssigbeereBerberis
Hungarian borbolya
  • borbolyaBerberis
Icelandic broddur
  • broddurBerberis
Irish barbróg
  • barbrógBerberis
Italian crespino
  • crespinoBerberis
Japanese メギ
  • メギ (megi)Berberis
Korean 매자나무
  • 매자나무 (maejanamu)Berberis
Latin berberis, -is
  • berberisBerberis
  • -isBerberis
  • oxyacanthusBerberis
  • -īBerberis
  • oxyacanthaBerberis
  • -aeBerberis
  • spīna acidaBerberis
Lithuanian raugerškis
  • raugerškisBerberis
Persian زرشک
  • زرشک (zerešk)Berberis
Polish berberys, kwaśnica
  • berberysBerberis
  • kwaśnicaBerberis
Portuguese bérberis, uva-espim
  • bérberisBerberis
  • uva-espimBerberis
Punjabi زِرِشْک
  • زِرِشْک (ziriśk)Berberis
Romanian dracilă
  • dracilăBerberis
Russian барбари́с
  • барбари́с (barbarís)Berberis
Slovak dráč
  • dráčBerberis
Spanish agracejo, alarguez
  • agracejoBerberis
  • alarguezBerberis
  • michayBerberis
  • calafateBerberis
Swedish berberis, surtorn
  • berberisBerberis
  • surtornBerberis
Turkish sarıçalı, kadıntuzluğu
  • sarıçalıBerberis
  • kadıntuzluğuBerberis
  • çobantuzluğuBerberis
  • amberbarisBerberis
Ukrainian барбари́с
  • барбари́с (barbarýs)Berberis
Urdu زِرِشْک
  • زِرِشْک (ziriśk)Berberis
Welsh eurddrain, pren melyn
  • eurddrainBerberis
  • pren melynBerberis
Cite this entry
APA

barberry. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/barberry

MLA

“barberry.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/barberry. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “barberry,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/barberry.

Source: barberry on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.