barberry

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

|Updated on: 13 Jun 2018

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

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Recent Examples of barberry from the Web

This is bush honeysuckle, a foreign invasive shrub even more implicated in the spread of Lyme disease than barberry.

— ellen nibali, baltimoresun.com, "Garden Q&A: Get rid of those patches of honeysuckle," 31 May 2018
Cook barberries, stirring often, until plumped slightly and warmed through, about 2 minutes.

— andy baraghani, Bon Appetit, "Crunchy Baked Saffron Rice with Barberries (Tachin)," 19 Mar. 2018
Wheat rust needs barberry to survive, cedar-apple rust needs both juniper and an apple relative, and white pine blister rust needs a susceptible member of the currant family.

— the editors of organic life, Good Housekeeping, "Grow Healthy Food By Identifying + Treating These Common Plant Diseases," 21 July 2015
Scatter half of barberries over and top with remaining rice.

— andy baraghani, Bon Appetit, "Crunchy Baked Saffron Rice with Barberries (Tachin)," 19 Mar. 2018
Rose Glow’ variegated Japanese barberry (Berberis thunbergii f. atropurpurea): Dramatic deciduous shrub that unfolds new growth of deep burgundy leaves splashed with pink and cream.

— OregonLive.com, "6 vibrant, colorful shrubs to spruce up Oregon gardens," 9 Apr. 2018
The five-course prix-fixe menu starts with kuku sabzi, a labor-intensive dish that involves a garden's worth of fresh herbs, eggs, walnuts and barberries.

— jenn harris, latimes.com, "Where to celebrate Nowruz, the Persian and Zoroastrian New Year celebration," 8 Mar. 2018
Anything with thorns or a strong scent, like barberry or herbs, are usually unappealing.

— jennifer heilman, cleveland.com, "Master gardeners offer advice on protecting plants," 8 Mar. 2018
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.