barberry

noun bar·ber·ry \ ˈbär-ˌber-ē , -ˌbe-rē \

Definition of barberry

:any of a genus (Berberis of the family Berberidaceae, the barberry family) of shrubs usually having spines, usually yellow flowers, and oblong red or blackish berries

See barberry defined for kids

Recent Examples of barberry from the Web

Garden Invasives: Eurasian bush honeysuckle, Japanese knotweed, Japanese barberry, burning bush, haveart bishop’s goutweed and purple loosestrife.

— joanne kempinger demski, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Invasive plants to watch out for," 20 Aug. 2017
Brand believes his sterile barberry will be the first one to make it to market.

— theresa sullivan barger, courant.com, "UConn Horticulturists Creating Sterile Versions Of Invasive Shrubs," 1 June 2017
Three other sterile barberry varieties that are being grown by wholesalers for later sale are a super compact cultivar with yellow foliage, and two compact shrubs, one with yellow and the other with green foliage.

— theresa sullivan barger, courant.com, "UConn Horticulturists Creating Sterile Versions Of Invasive Shrubs," 1 June 2017
UConn horticulture professor Mark Brand devoted 15 years to creating a seedless, and therefore sterile, version of barberry.

— theresa sullivan barger, courant.com, "UConn Horticulturists Creating Sterile Versions Of Invasive Shrubs," 1 June 2017
Depending on your family’s traditions, zereshk, dried barberries that are quite sour, and walnuts can be added.

— andy baraghani, Bon Appetit, "How I Honor My Family’s History with a Persian New Year Feast," 16 Mar. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'barberry.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.