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shadberry

shadberry

9.9
A red or purple berry that you can eat from a small wild tree
  • noun
  • /ˈʃædˌbɛri/
  • US
translation icon : fruto de shad
  • During the summer, we often enjoy eating ripe shadberries right from the bush.

Examples

  • The dessert was topped with a sweet shadberry sauce that delighted everyone.

  • Posted by Shadberry Bold Saturday, Nov 17, 2012, 2 days ago

    Blog text (13)
  • I picked fresh shadberries from the tree to make a delicious jam.

Synonyms

serviceberry
vsshadberry
  • US
8.2

A small dark purple edible berry often used in jams and pies

is the broader name that highlights this genus's berries especially
juneberry
vsshadberry
  • US
8.4

A small purple or red berry that people can eat

is used as a general term for the genus berry rather than specific species
saskatoon
vsshadberry
  • US
9.9

A small purple or red berry that people eat and use in pies and jams

is the general name for such berries not limited to one species

Surface Forms

shadberry singular
shadberries plural

Morphology

shadberry = shad + berry (semi-transparent) = shad + berry

The word is a clear compound 'shad' + 'berry' but the link between the fish 'shad' and the berry (timing/association) is culturally specific and not obvious to all learners.

Etymology

Shadberry comes from the words shad ('a fish') and berry ('small fruit'). These trees often bloom and make fruit when shad return to the rivers in spring, so people named the berries after the fish. So a shadberry is the edible red or purple fruit of the serviceberry.