buffaloberry
buffaloberry Lexical Profile
buffaloberry Game Scores & Validity
• noun
North American A hardy, deciduous, thorny shrub of the genus Shepherdia (especially Shepherdia argentea), native to western and northern North America and characterized by its distinct silvery foliage.
"The ranchers planted a row of buffaloberry along the fence line to act as a natural windbreak and prevent soil erosion in the arid climate."
North American The small, tart, bright red or yellowish edible fruit produced by the buffaloberry shrub, historically used by Indigenous peoples in pemmican and harvested today for jellies and sauces.
"After the first frost sweetened the fruit, we spent the afternoon harvesting buffaloberries to make a batch of wild jelly."
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
A compound of 'buffalo' and 'berry', coined in the 19th century because the tart berries were historically gathered by Indigenous peoples of North America to flavor buffalo meat, especially in the preparation of pemmican.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.