The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Gooseberry \Goose"ber*ry\, n.; pl. Gooseberries, [Corrupted
   for groseberry or groiseberry, fr. OF. groisele, F.
   groseille, -- of German origin; cf. G. krausbeere,
   kr[aum]uselbeere (fr. kraus crisp), D. kruisbes, kruisbezie
   (as if crossberry, fr. kruis cross; for kroesbes, kroesbezie,
   fr. kroes crisp), Sw. krusb[aum]r (fr. krus, krusing, crisp).
   The first part of the word is perh. akin to E. curl. Cf.
   Grossular, a.]
   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.
      [1913 Webster]

   2. A silly person; a goose cap. --Goldsmith.
      [1913 Webster]

   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.
      [1913 Webster]

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):

gooseberry
    n 1: spiny Eurasian shrub having greenish purple-tinged flowers
         and ovoid yellow-green or red-purple berries [syn:
         gooseberry, gooseberry bush, Ribes uva-crispa, Ribes
         grossularia]
    2: currant-like berry used primarily in jams and jellies