elderberry

Noun

WordNet 3.0

Noun (2)

  1. a common shrub with black fruit or a small tree of Europe and Asia; fruit used for wines and jelliesSynonyms: bourtreeblack eldercommon elderEuropean elderSambucus nigra
  2. berrylike fruit of an elder used for e.g. wines and jellies
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Webster's Dictionary (GCIDE)

Elder \El"der\, n. [OE. ellern, eller, AS. ellen, cf. LG. elloorn; perh. akin to OHG. holantar, holuntar, G. holunder; or perh. to E. alder, n.] (Bot.) A genus of shrubs (Sambucus) having broad umbels of white flowers, and small black or red berries. [1913 Webster]

Note: The common North American species is Sambucus Canadensis; the common European species (S. nigra) forms a small tree. The red-berried elder is S. pubens. The berries are diaphoretic and aperient. The European elder (Sambucus nigra) is also called the elderberry, bourtree, Old World elder, black elder, and common elder. [1913 Webster + WordNet 1.5]

Box elder. See under 1st Box.

Dwarf elder. See Danewort.

Elder tree. (Bot.) Same as Elder. --Shak.

Marsh elder, the cranberry tree Viburnum Opulus). [1913 Webster]


elderberry \el"der*ber`ry\, n. (Bot.)

1.The berrylike drupe of the elder. That of the Old World elder (Sambucus nigra) and that of the American sweet elder (S. Canadensis) are sweetish acid, and are eaten as a berry or made into wines or jellies. [Webster 1913 Suppl. + WordNet 1.5]

2.the European variety of elder (see 3rd elder), a common black-fruited shrub or small tree of Europe and Asia; the fruit is used for wines and jellies.

Syn: bourtree, black elder, common elder, European elder, Sambucus nigra. [WordNet 1.5]

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