The small red or black berry of the dogwood or cornel tree, historically eaten as food or used for medicinal purposes.
Compound of 'dog' (meaning wild or common) and 'berry,' from Old English 'berie.' Medieval herbalists used this naming pattern to distinguish wild plants from cultivated varieties.
Dogberries were so common in medieval Europe that they show up in folk recipes and herbal texts—yet we've almost completely forgotten about them in modern cooking, even though they're still edible.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.