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Huckleberry

- 4 dictionary results

huck⋅le⋅ber⋅ry

[huhk-uhl-ber-ee]
–noun, plural -ries.
1. the dark-blue or black edible berry of any of various shrubs belonging to the genus Gaylussacia of the heath family.
2. a shrub bearing such fruit.
3. blueberry (def. 1).

Origin:
1660–70, Americanism; perh. alter. of hurtleberry
huck·le·ber·ry   (hŭk'əl-běr'ē)   
n.  
  1. Any of various New World shrubs of the genus Gaylussacia, related to the blueberries and bearing edible fruit.
  2. The glossy, blackish, many-seeded berry of these plants.

[Probably alteration of hurtleberry, whortleberry; see whortleberry.]

Huckleberry

Huc"kle*ber`ry\, n. [Cf. Whortleberry.] (Bot.) (a) The edible black or dark blue fruit of several species of the American genus Gaylussacia, shrubs nearly related to the blueberries (Vaccinium), and formerly confused with them. The commonest huckelberry comes from G. resinosa. (b) The shrub that bears the berries. Called also whortleberry.

Squaw huckleberry. See Deeberry.

huckleberry 
1670, Amer.Eng., probably an alteration of M.E. hurtilbery "whortleberry," from O.E. horte. Technically the fruit and plant of Gaylussacia, but also colloquially applied to the closely related blueberry. Slang meaning "person of little consequence" is attested from 1835.
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