whortleberry

English

Ripe whortleberries, Vaccinium myrtillus

Etymology

An alteration of Middle English hurtilbery, hurtil-beri (see English hurtleberry), analysable as whortle +‎ berry. Compare English huckleberry.

Pronunciation

• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈwɝtl̩bɛɹi/, /ˈʍɝtl̩-/
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈwɜːtl̩bəɹi/, /ˈhɜːtl̩bəɹi/
• Hyphenation: whor‧tle‧ber‧ry

Noun

whortleberry (plural whortleberries)

1. Any of several shrubs belonging to the genus Vaccinium:

   Synonyms: (obsolete except Britain, dialectal) hurt, (obsolete, rare) hurtle, whortle bush

   1. Vaccinium myrtillus (bilberry or blue whortleberry);
   2. Vaccinium vitis-idaea (lingonberry or red whortleberry);
   3. Vaccinium uliginosum (bog whortleberry or bilberry).
2. A berry of one of these shrubs.

   Synonyms: (obsolete except Britain, dialectal) hurt, (obsolete, rare) hurtle

Derived terms

• grouse whortleberry

Translations

berry of a shrub of genus Vaccinium

• Bulgarian: боровинка (bg) f (borovinka)
• French: myrtille (fr) f
• Latin: vaccīnium n
• Spanish: arándano (es)