cowberry

9.1

A low evergreen bush in northern forests that has small tart red edible berries

noun
/ˈkaʊˌbɛri/

: mora de los pantanos

During our hike in the mountains, we found a patch of cowberries ripe for picking.

Examples

This Swedish berry is also known as the cowberry.

The Bucket List (2007)
In late summer, we went to the woods to collect cowberries that we planned to use in pies.
The bright red cowberries added a perfect tartness to the homemade jam.

Synonyms

lingonberry

vscowberry

1 8.3

A small tart red berry from a low evergreen bush used in jams and sauces

is the general regional name for the same plant and its fruit

Vaccinium vitis-idaea

vscowberry

Specialized

9.9

A low evergreen shrub that grows in northern forests and makes small red edible berries called lingonberries

is the common general term used for the same shrub and berry

mountain cranberry

vscowberry

4.7

A low evergreen shrub from northern places that makes small tart red berries

is the broader term for that shrub and its edible berries

foxberry

vscowberry

9.9

A low bush with small red berries that people eat

is the common local name used for the same plant and fruit

lingenberry

vscowberry

9.9

A small evergreen bush that makes red berries you can eat

is the standard name for the same shrub and its tart berry

lingberry

vscowberry

9.9

A low green bush that grows in northern forests and has small red berries you can eat

is the usual name for that shrub and its small tart fruit

Surface Forms

cowberry singular

cowberries plural

Morphology

cowberry = cow + berry (transparent) = cow + berry

The word is a straightforward compound 'cow' + 'berry' naming a type of berry; learners can infer it's a kind of berry, possibly associated with cows.

Etymology

The word cowberry is simply cow + berry, meaning a 'berry' linked to 'cows' because it grew where cows grazed or was eaten by farm animals. That's why the name fits this low shrub that makes small, tart red berries in northern forests.