bayberry
|bay-ber-ry|
/ˈbeɪbəri/
aromatic shrub and its wax
Etymology
'bayberry' originates from English, specifically the compound 'bay' + 'berry', where 'bay' referred to an aromatic or bay-like shrub (the word 'bay' itself ultimately goes back via Old French 'baie' to Latin 'baca' meaning 'berry') and 'berry' meant 'small fruit'.
'bayberry' was formed in Early Modern English as the compound 'bay-berry' and subsequently continued into modern English as 'bayberry'.
Initially, the term referred primarily to the shrub and its fruit ('the berry of a bay-like shrub'), but over time it also came to denote the wax obtained from those berries ('bayberry wax').
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a shrub of the genus Myrica (such as Myrica pensylvanica or Myrica cerifera), bearing aromatic leaves and small, often wax-coated berries.
The bayberry bushes provided shelter for the nesting birds.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2026/01/01 08:17