ENGLISH
REFERENCE

mulberry

n. countable
C2 Proficiency US //ˈməɫˌbɛɹi// UK //mˈʌlbəɹi// mul·ber·ry

n. a small, sweet fruit that looks like a long blackberry and grows on a tree. The leaves of this tree are also famous because they are the main food for silkworms.

n. the edible, aggregate fruit of several trees in the genus Morus, typically dark purple, red, or white when ripe. Often associated with sericulture, as the foliage serves as the primary food source for silkworms.


SIMPLE

We picked a bowl of ripe mulberries from the tree in the garden.

CONTEXTUAL

The sidewalk was stained dark purple where the overhanging mulberry tree had dropped its ripe fruit.

COMPLEX

While the fruit is prized for its sweetness in preserves, the white mulberry was historically imported to Europe and North America in failed attempts to establish a domestic silk industry.

Usage

The fruit is countable; the wood or the tree species can be used uncountably in botanical or material contexts.

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