barberry

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Related to barberry: Burberry, Japanese barberry

bar·ber·ry

(bär′bĕr′ē)

Any of various shrubs of the genus Berberis, having leaves that are often clustered, small yellow flowers, and red, orange, or blackish berries. They are grown as ornamentals or hedge plants.

[Middle English berberie, alteration (influenced by berye, berry) of Medieval Latin berberis, from Arabic barbārīs, ambirbārīs, amīrbārīs, of unknown origin.]

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

barberry

(ˈbɑːbərɪ)

n, pl -ries

1. (Plants) any spiny berberidaceous shrub of the widely distributed genus Berberis, esp B. vulgaris, having clusters of yellow flowers and orange or red berries: widely cultivated as hedge plants

2. (Plants) the fruit of any of these plants

[C15: from Old French berberis, from Arabic barbāris]

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

bar•ber•ry

(ˈbɑrˌbɛr i, -bə ri)

n., pl. -ries.

1. a shrub of the genus Berberis, esp. B. vulgaris, having yellow flowers in elongated clusters.

2. the red fruit of this shrub.

[1350–1400; Middle English barbere < Medieval Latin barbaris (< Arabic barbāris), with -baris conformed to bere berry]

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Noun

barberry - any of numerous plants of the genus Berberis having prickly stems and yellow flowers followed by small red berries

Berberis, genus Berberis - large genus of shrubs of temperate zones of New and Old Worlds

American barberry, Berberis canadensis - deciduous shrub of eastern North America whose leaves turn scarlet in autumn and having racemes of yellow flowers followed by ellipsoid glossy red berries

Berberis vulgaris, common barberry, European barberry - upright deciduous European shrub widely naturalized in United States having clusters of juicy berries

Berberis thunbergii, Japanese barberry - compact deciduous shrub having persistent red berries; widespread in cultivation especially for hedges

bush, shrub - a low woody perennial plant usually having several major stems

Translations

BerberitzeSauerdorn

borbolya

барбарис

References in classic literature ?

The barberry's brilliant fruit was likewise food for my eyes merely; but I collected a small store of wild apples for coddling, which the proprietor and travellers had overlooked.

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"If she makes as much work after she comes as she has before, we might as well give up hope of ever gettin' any rest," sighed Miranda as she hung the dish towels on the barberry bushes at the side door.

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When the stamens of a flower suddenly spring towards the pistil, or slowly move one after the other towards it, the contrivance seems adapted solely to ensure self-fertilisation; and no doubt it is useful for this end: but, the agency of insects is often required to cause the stamens to spring forward, as Kolreuter has shown to be the case with the barberry; and curiously in this very genus, which seems to have a special contrivance for self-fertilisation, it is well known that if very closely-allied forms or varieties are planted near each other, it is hardly possible to raise pure seedlings, so largely do they naturally cross.

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Barberry, a privatelyowned development and investment company based in Worcestershire, has spent the last 18 months conducting negotiations and vital research in order to ensure that the completed Bishop Gate scheme benefits the city residents and visitors for many years to come.

Showpiece developments in spotlight

Right row from rear: Henry Bellfield, Barberry Developments; David Cockroft, Coventry City Council; Mike O'Sullivan, MCD Developments; Sam Jefferson, Study Inn; David Wheeler, McLaren Construction; Lynnette Kelly, Coventry City Council and Jo Dobson and Paul Deas from Coventry and Warwickshire LEP

20 Coventry firms sign up for MIPIM

Mr Reeves will be a keynote speaker at the event along with Centro chief executive Geoff Inskip and developer Barberry, which is responsible for Bishop Gate.

CITY PIONEERS NEW TRANSPORT PLAN; Integrated scheme to be showcased at major exhibition

A joint venture by the council and the Forrest family, supported by commercial property developer Richardson Barberry, Forrest Park has already attracted international attention.

3,200 jobs hope at business park

The project is a venture between the council and the Forrest family, supported by commercial developer Richardson Barberry.

More than 3,000 jobs to be created as [pounds sterling]140m business park gets green light; The extension to Aycliffe Business Park will include a pub, restaurant, business and industrial units

Commercial property investor and developer Barberry Group has appointed project director Jon Mott to help drive delivery of its growing pipeline of developments across the industrial, residential and student accommodation sectors.

Builder adds to top team

Donnie ATO liven up green uniform hedging, try roses, Berberis vulgaris common barberry) and Pyracantha (firethorn), which make excellent flowering hedges and invite beneficial wildlife.

ASK DAVID; OUR EXPERT ANSWERS YOUR QUESTIONS

Donnie ATO liven up green uniform hedging, try roses, Berberis vulgaris (common barberry) and Pyracantha (firethorn), which make excellent flowering hedges and invite beneficial wildlife.