dogberry
Definition of dogberry
1 : any of certain small fruits usually considered inferior or unfit for human consumption (as the chokeberry, prickly wild gooseberry, certain rose hips, or the fruit of the mountain ash); especially : the fruit of the red dogwood
2 : any plant (as certain dogwoods, mountain ash, or yellow clintonia) that bears dogberries
From the M-W Editors
There's more!
Love words? You must — there are over 200,000 words in our free online dictionary, but you are looking for one that’s only in the Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary.
Start your free trial today and get unlimited access to America's largest dictionary, with:
- More than 250,000 words that aren't in our free dictionary
- Expanded definitions, etymologies, and usage notes
- Advanced search features
- Ad free!
Origin and Etymology of dogberry
1dog + berry
There's more!
Love words? You must — there are over 200,000 words in our free online dictionary, but you are looking for one that’s only in the Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary.
Start your free trial today and get unlimited access to America's largest dictionary, with:
- More than 250,000 words that aren't in our free dictionary
- Expanded definitions, etymologies, and usage notes
- Advanced search features
- Ad free!
Origin and Etymology of dogberry
from Dogberry, a foolish constable in Shakespeare's Much Ado about Nothing
Seen and Heard
What made you want to look up dogberry? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).
Writing? Check your grammar now!