thimbleberry
thimbleberry Lexical Profile
thimbleberry Game Scores & Validity
• noun
North American A thornless shrub (Rubus parviflorus) of the rose family native to western and northern North America, recognized by its large, soft, maple-like leaves and white flowers.
"While hiking in the Pacific Northwest, we admired the broad leaves and delicate white blossoms of the native thimbleberry lining the trail."
North American The soft, red, edible aggregate fruit of the thimbleberry shrub, which resembles a raspberry but is shallower and shaped like a thimble.
"The foragers collected baskets of wild thimbleberry to make a sweet, tart jam."
Word Origin & Etymology
Coined in the 19th century as a compound of 'thimble' and 'berry', referring to the fruit's hollow, dome-like shape which closely resembles a sewing thimble when plucked from its receptacle.