A small wax-covered berry from certain shrubs, traditionally used to make scented candles and other products.
Compound of 'bay' (from Old English or place name) plus 'berry'. The plant (Morella species) was used by Indigenous peoples and later by American colonists for candle-making and medicinal purposes.
The distinctive scent of bayberry candles has become synonymous with American colonial heritage, though bayberries actually grow wild from Nova Scotia to North Carolina and were a resource long before colonists arrived.
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