Sambucus nigra

9.6

A small tree or bush whose dark berries people use to make wine and jams

noun

: sambucus nigra

The dark berries of Sambucus nigra are often harvested to make elderberry wine.

Examples

Local traditions use extracts from Sambucus nigra flowers for homemade cordials and teas.
Sambucus nigra is commonly found along hedgerows and woodlands throughout Europe.
The Sambucus nigra plant thrives in moist, fertile soil.
Many people use Sambucus nigra for its medicinal properties.
Sambucus nigra, known as European black elder, produces dark berries that can be used to make jams and jellies.
In traditional herbal medicine, Sambucus nigra is often utilized for its ability to boost the immune system.
You can find Sambucus nigra growing wild in many parts of Europe, particularly near rivers and in shaded areas.

Synonyms

elderberry

vsSambucus nigra

1 5.5

A small tree or bush that has clusters of dark purple berries

is the scientific species term specifying the same plant more precisely

black elder

vsSambucus nigra

5.5

A common shrub or small tree with clusters of dark berries used for making jam and wine

is the scientific name for the same plant rather than a common name

bourtree

vsSambucus nigra

Archaic

9.9

A small tree with groups of white flowers and black berries used to make wine and jam

is the formal species term rather than a local or poetic name

European elder

vsSambucus nigra

7.6

A small tree or bush that has dark berries used to make wine and jam

is the specific scientific label rather than a general regional name

common elder

vsSambucus nigra

6.6

A small tree or bush with white flower clusters and dark berries used to make jam

is the formal species designation rather than a widespread common name

elderberry bush

vsSambucus nigra

5.6

A small tree or shrub that has white flowers and small dark berries

is the specific species term limited to Europe and Asia not the wider genus

Surface Forms

Sambucus nigra singular

Sambucus nigrae plural

Morphology

Sambucus + nigra

This is a botanical Latin binomial formed from the genus name 'Sambucus' (a plant genus) plus the epithet 'nigra' meaning 'black', so a learner who knows both constituents can compose the meaning as the 'black elder' species. Although 'nigra' is a Latin form and may be unfamiliar to many learners, the construction is descriptive and therefore directly derivable from its parts.

Etymology

Sambucus nigra comes from an old word for a small string instrument called 'sambuke' because people once made that instrument from elder wood, and nigra means 'black' for the tree's dark berries. So the name gives a simple picture of the elder tree and its black fruit.