Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

barberry

/ˈbɑɹbɛɹi/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: 1.85 in modern English

Syllables: bar-ber-ry
IPA: /ˈbɑɹbɛɹi/

15

Scrabble Score

8

Letters

3

Syllables

5

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

Any of the thorny shrubs of genus Berberis, which bear yellow flowers and red or blue-black berries.

noun

The edible fruit of these shrubs.

name

Obsolete form of Beruwala.

Obsolete

Example Sentences

"BOlvs in Engliſh is called a morſell. It is a medicine laxatiue, in forme & faſhion it is meanely whole, & it is ſwallowed by litle gobbets. […] ℞. medulla caſiæ fiſtulæ newly drawen. ℥. j. or ʒ. x. the graines (that is the kernelles) of barbaries. ℈. ß. and with ſugar roſet [sugar compounded with rose petals] make a bole."

Etymology

From Middle English berberie, from Medieval Latin berberis (on which see Arabic بَرْبَارِيس (barbārīs)), influenced by berie (“berry”). Doublet of berberis and related to Berber.

Origin

Source language: Middle English

Word Breakdown

Root: berberie, berberis, بَرْبَارِيس

Usage

Obsolete

Inflected Forms

barberries (plural)

Phrases

California barberry common barberry creeping barberry holly barberry holly-leaved barberry Japanese barberry Magellan barberry

Synonyms

berberis

Questions

How do you pronounce barberry?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈbɑɹbɛɹi/.
What does barberry mean?: Any of the thorny shrubs of genus Berberis, which bear yellow flowers and red or blue-black berries.
Where does barberry come from?: It is traced to Middle English.

How to pronounce barberry

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “barberry”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˈbɑɹbɛɹi/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “barberry”.
Repeat and practice — Say “barberry” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.