winterberry

noun win·ter·ber·ry \ ˈwin-tər-ˌber-ē \

Definition of winterberry

1 : an eastern North American shrub (Ilex verticillata) of the holly family with axillary flowers, usually bright red berries, and deciduous leaves that turn black in the fall — called also black alder

2 : any of several congeneric shrubs or small trees (such as Ilex laevigata of the eastern U.S.)

Recent Examples of winterberry from the Web

For example, winterberry (Ilex verticillata) and Carolina allspice (Calycanthus floridus) are good shrubs for soil that is frequently wet, Taylor said.

— beth botts, chicagotribune.com, "'Plants aren’t sponges': Soil that's too wet, too long can spoil your garden," 6 June 2018
Robins and catbirds will compete for plump, vermilion winterberries.

— bart ziegler, WSJ, "Save the Songbirds: Plant These Shrubs and Bushes," 13 Sep. 2017
Cost: Eucalyptus, $2 a stem + fern, $12 a bunch + yellow winterberry, $13 a bunch; fishing line, $5 + and tea lights, $10 for 100.

— carly cardellino, Cosmopolitan, "21 Super-Easy Bridal Floral Hacks That Will Save You a Ton of Money," 18 Apr. 2017

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