Definition

Noun: 1. A spicy red berry-like fruit: The small, red fruit of the wintergreen plant (Gaultheria procumbens), known for its distinctive, minty flavor and as a source of wintergreen oil. 2. The plant bearing this fruit: A low, creeping, evergreen shrub native to eastern North America, which produces white bell-shaped flowers, aromatic leaves, and the characteristic red berries.

Examples of Usage

• The checkerberry is a traditional flavoring for candies and medicines.
• We found a patch of checkerberry growing beneath the pine trees.
• The leaves of the checkerberry plant are often used to make a fragrant tea.

Advanced Usage

• As a modifier: The term can be used attributively to describe flavors or products derived from the plant.
  • The candy had a distinct checkerberry flavor.

Variants and Related Words

• Wintergreen: A common synonym for both the checkerberry plant and its oil.
• Teaberry: Another common name for the checkerberry.
• Gaultheria procumbens: The scientific, botanical name for the plant.

Synonyms

• Wintergreen
• Teaberry
• Mountain tea
• Boxberry

Notes on Meaning

The word "checkerberry" refers specifically to the North American plant Gaultheria procumbens and its fruit. It is not a general term for any red berry. Its primary associations are with its spicy, minty aroma and taste and its use in producing wintergreen oil.

Noun

1. spicy red berrylike fruit; source of wintergreen oil
2. creeping shrub of eastern North America having white bell-shaped flowers followed by spicy red berrylike fruit and shiny aromatic leaves that yield wintergreen oil