Etymology: med.L & OF, of unkn. orig.
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noun
large genus of shrubs of temperate zones of New and Old Worlds
• Syn: ↑genus Berberis
• Hypernyms: ↑magnoliid dicot genus
• Member Holonyms: ↑Berberidaceae, ↑family Berberidaceae, ↑barberry family
• Member Meronyms: ↑barberry
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\\ˈbərbərə̇s\ nounEtymology: New Latin, alteration of Medieval Latin barbaris barberry, from Arabic barbārīs
1. capitalized : a large genus of shrubs (family Berberidaceae) natives of the north temperate zone and of the Andes to Tierra del Fuego having prickly stems and yellow flowers succeeded by red berries — see barberry
2. -es : the dried rhizome and roots of certain barberries of the genus Mahonia that contain the alkaloids berberine, oxyacanthine, and berbamine — called also Oregon graperoot
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berberis /bûrˈbə-ris/
noun
Any shrub of the barberry genus Berberis, giving name to the family Berberidāˈceae, related to the buttercup family
ORIGIN: Ety as ↑barberry
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berberidāˈceous adjective
berˈberine noun
An alkaloid obtained from barberry roots
Useful english dictionary. 2012.