goose·berry [gooseberrygooseberries] BrE [ˈɡʊzbəri] NAmE [ˈɡuːsberi] noun (pl. goose·berries) a small green fruit that grows on a bush with ↑thorns. Gooseberries taste sour and are usually cooked to make jam, ↑pies, etc. Children are sometimes told that babies come from ‘under the gooseberry bush ’ •a gooseberry bush Idiom: ↑play gooseberry
Word Origin: mid 16th cent.: the first element perhaps from ↑goose, or perhaps based on Old French groseille, altered because of an unexplained association with the bird.