[adj. bit-er-sweet, bit-er-sweet; n. bit-er-sweet] 
| 1. | both bitter and sweet to the taste: bittersweet chocolate. |
| 2. | both pleasant and painful or regretful: a bittersweet memory. |
| 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, esp. C. scandens. |
| 5. | pleasure mingled with pain or regret: the bittersweet of parting. |
