gooseberry Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun spiny Eurasian shrub having greenish purple-tinged flowers and ovoid yellow-green or red-purple berries
    Ribes grossularia; gooseberry bush; Ribes uva-crispa.
  2. noun currant-like berry used primarily in jams and jellies

WordNet

Goose"ber*ry noun
Etymology
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, a.
Wordforms
plural
plural Gooseberries
Definitions
  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.

Webster 1913