Definition

1. Noun:
   • The small, dark, berry-like fruit of the elder tree (genus Sambucus): This fruit is typically black or dark purple and is used to make foods like jams, jellies, pies, and wines.
   • The elder shrub or small tree itself: This refers to the common plant, especially the European elder (Sambucus nigra) or American elder (Sambucus canadensis), which produces these berries.

Usage Examples

• Noun (referring to the fruit):
  • We picked elderberries to make homemade jam.
  • Elderberry is often used in syrups believed to support the immune system.
• Noun (referring to the plant):
  • An elderberry grows at the edge of the forest.
  • The flowers of the elderberry are creamy-white and fragrant.

Advanced Usage

• "Elderberry wine": A type of wine made from fermented elderberries.
  • My grandmother used to make a delicious elderberry wine.
• In a botanical or culinary context, the term is precise. It is less common in general conversation unless discussing foraging, cooking, or herbal remedies.

Variants and Related Words

• Elder (noun): The more general name for the shrub or tree. "Elderberry" specifies the fruit or the fruit-bearing plant.
  • Elder flowers are also used to make cordials.
• Elderberry bush (noun phrase): Another way to refer to the shrub.

Synonyms

• For the fruit: Elder fruit (less common).
• For the plant: Elder, Elder tree, Elder bush.

Idioms and Fixed Phrases

• There are no common idioms specifically using the word "elderberry." It primarily appears in literal contexts related to botany, food, and drink.

Noun

1. berrylike fruit of an elder used for e.g. wines and jellies
2. a common shrub with black fruit or a small tree of Europe and Asia; fruit used for wines and jellies