The Collaborative International Dictionary
Gooseberry \Goose"ber*ry\, n.; pl. Gooseberries, [Corrupted for groseberry or groiseberry, fr. OF. groisele, F. groseille, -- of German origin; cf. G. krausbeere, kr["a]uselbeere (fr. kraus crisp), D. kruisbes, kruisbezie (as if crossberry, fr. kruis cross; for kroesbes, kroesbezie, fr. kroes crisp), Sw. krusb["a]r (fr. krus, krusing, crisp). The first part of the word is perh. akin to E. curl. Cf. Grossular, a.]
(Bot.) Any thorny shrub of the genus Ribes; also, the edible berries of such shrub. There are several species, of which Ribes Grossularia is the one commonly cultivated.
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A silly person; a goose cap.
--Goldsmith.Barbadoes gooseberry, a climbing prickly shrub ( Pereskia aculeata) of the West Indies, which bears edible berries resembling gooseberries.
Coromandel gooseberry. See Carambola.
Gooseberry fool. See 1st Fool.
Gooseberry worm (Zo["o]l.), the larva of a small moth ( Dakruma convolutella). It destroys the gooseberry by eating the interior.