bittersweet

[adj. bit-er-sweet, bit-er-sweet; n. bit-er-sweet] Example Sentences Origin

bit·ter·sweet

[adj. bit-er-sweet, bit-er-sweet; n. bit-er-sweet]
adjective
1.
both bitter and sweet to the taste: bittersweet chocolate.
2.
both pleasant and painful or regretful: a bittersweet memory.
noun
3.
Also called woody nightshade. a climbing or trailing plant, Solanum dulcamara, of the nightshade family, having small, violet, star-shaped flowers with a protruding yellow center and scarlet berries.
4.
Also called climbing bittersweet. any climbing plant of the genus Celastrus, bearing orange capsules opening to expose red-coated seeds, especially C. scandens.
5.
pleasure mingled with pain or regret: the bittersweet of parting.

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Bittersweet is always a great word to know.
So is bezoar. Does it mean:
a calculus or concretion found in the stomach or intestines of certain animals, esp. ruminants, formerly reputed to be an effective remedy for poison.
a printed punctuation mark (‽), available only in some typefaces, designed to combine the question mark (?) and the exclamation point (!), indicating a mixture of query and interjection, as after a rhetorical question.

Origin:
1350–1400; Middle English; see bitter, sweet

bit·ter·sweet·ly, adverb
bit·ter·sweet·ness, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
Cite This Source Link To bittersweet
Example Sentences
  • Having one's paranoia confirmed is kind of bittersweet.
  • Uncover the bittersweet story of this ancient treat.
  • There was a bittersweet feeling among fans who are watching the last film in the series.
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Collins
World English Dictionary
bittersweet (ˈbɪtəˌswiːt)
 
n
1.  any of several North American woody climbing plants of the genus Celastrus, esp C. scandens, having orange capsules that open to expose scarlet-coated seeds: family Celastraceae
2.  another name for woody nightshade
 
adj
3.  tasting of or being a mixture of bitterness and sweetness
4.  pleasant but tinged with sadness

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History

bittersweet
late 14c., as a noun; used especially in M.E. of a type of apple, from bitter + sweet. As an adjective, attested from 1610s.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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