bearberry
bearberry Lexical Profile
bearberry Game Scores & Validity
• noun
Any of several low-growing, mat-forming evergreen shrubs of the genus Arctostaphylos in the heather family (Ericaceae), especially Arctostaphylos uva-ursi, native to circumboreal and subarctic regions and characterized by leathery leaves and small pink or white bell-shaped flowers.
"Dense mats of evergreen bearberry covered the rocky alpine slopes where taller shrubs could not survive."
The small, bright red, mealy, and mildly astringent edible berry (technically a drupe) produced by the bearberry shrub, which serves as a staple autumn food source for bears and birds and is cooked or dried for human consumption.
"Although a raw bearberry tastes dry and mealy, the fruit becomes much more palatable when simmered with sweeter berries or meat."
Word Origin & Etymology
Coined in the late 16th century as a compound of "bear" and "berry" (translating the botanical Latin specific epithet "uva-ursi"), referencing the fondness of bears for eating the shrub's scarlet fruit.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.