berberis

ber·ber·is

noun \ˈbər-bə-rəs\

Definition of BERBERIS

1

capitalized : a large genus of shrubs (family Berberidaceae) that usually have prickly stems, yellow flowers, and red or blackish berries—compare mahonia

2

: the dried rhizome and roots of some barberries of the genus Mahonia (especially M. aquifolium) that contain a number of alkaloids (as berberine and berbamine)