- Berberis
- n. = BARBERRY.
Etymology: med.L & OF, of unkn. orig.
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nounlarge genus of shrubs of temperate zones of New and Old Worlds• Syn: ↑genus Berberis• Hypernyms: ↑magnoliid dicot genus• Member Holonyms: ↑Berberidaceae, ↑family Berberidaceae, ↑barberry family• Member Meronyms: ↑barberry* * *
\\ˈbərbərə̇s\ nounEtymology: New Latin, alteration of Medieval Latin barbaris barberry, from Arabic barbārīs1. capitalized : a large genus of shrubs (family Berberidaceae) natives of the north temperate zone and of the Andes to Tierra del Fuego having prickly stems and yellow flowers succeeded by red berries — see barberry2. -es : the dried rhizome and roots of certain barberries of the genus Mahonia that contain the alkaloids berberine, oxyacanthine, and berbamine — called also Oregon graperoot* * *
berberis /bûrˈbə-ris/nounAny shrub of the barberry genus Berberis, giving name to the family Berberidāˈceae, related to the buttercup familyORIGIN: Ety as ↑barberry• • •berberidāˈceous adjectiveberˈberine nounAn alkaloid obtained from barberry roots
Useful english dictionary. 2012.