Bacca

/ˈbækə/ noun

Definition

A berry or berry-like fruit; a botanical term for a fleshy, seed-bearing fruit developed from a plant's ovary.

Etymology

From Latin 'bacca' meaning 'berry,' which may derive from Etruscan or another pre-Latin Mediterranean language. The word entered English through scientific and botanical terminology during the Renaissance.

Kelly Says

Latin 'bacca' shows up in tons of English plant words: 'baccate,' 'bacciferous,' 'bacciform'—scientists loved using the Latin term to sound fancy! It's still the root in modern botanical classification.

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