Standard Lemma guide

elderberry

noun · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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  • /ˈɛldə(ɹ)ˌbɛɹi/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.

1

noun

Meaning 1

Any shrub or tree of the genus Sambucus;

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: elder

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

The small, edible, purplish-black fruit of this plant, used in cooking and to flavour drinks etc.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

berrylike fruit of an elder used for e.g. wines and jellies

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: edible fruit, drupe, stone fruit

4

noun

Meaning 4

a common shrub with black fruit or a small tree of Europe and Asia; fruit used for wines and jellies

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: bourtree, black elder, common elder, European elder, Sambucus nigra

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: elder, elderberry bush

History

Etymology

Etymology tree Middle English eldre English elder Middle English berye English berry English elderberry Compound of elder + berry.

Across languages

Translations

44 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: بَيْلَسَان (baylasān) — fruit
  • Azerbaijani: gəndalaş — fruit
  • Basque: intsusa — fruit
  • Belarusian: бузіна́ (buziná) — fruit
  • Bulgarian: бъз (bǎz) — fruit
  • Cherokee: ᎪᏒᎦ (gosvga) — fruit
  • Chinese Cantonese: 接骨木果 (zip3 gwat1 muk6 gwo2) — fruit
  • Chinese Mandarin: 接骨木果 (jiēgǔmùguǒ) — fruit
  • Cornish: eyrin skaw — fruit
  • Czech: bezinka — fruit
  • Danish: hyldebær — fruit
  • Dutch: vlierbes — fruit
  • Esperanto: sambuko — fruit
  • Finnish: seljanmarja — fruit
  • French: baie de sureau — fruit
  • German: Holunderbeere — fruit
  • German: Fliederbeere — fruit
  • Hungarian: bodza — fruit
  • Icelandic: ylliber — fruit
  • Italian: sambuco — fruit
  • Japanese: 接骨木 — fruit
  • Latin: sambūcum — fruit
  • Latin: sabūcum — fruit
  • Luiseño: kutpat — fruit
  • Macedonian: бозел (bozel) — fruit
  • Navajo: jiłhazhí — fruit
  • Norman: chérise dé seu — fruit
  • Norman: graine dé seu — fruit
  • Norwegian Bokmål: hyllebær — fruit
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: hyllebær — fruit
  • Polish: bez czarny — fruit
  • Polish: czarny bez — fruit
  • Portuguese: sabugo — fruit
  • Romanian: soc — fruit
  • Russian: бузина́ (buziná) — fruit
  • Serbo-Croatian: ба̀зга — fruit
  • Serbo-Croatian: зо́ва — fruit
  • Serbo-Croatian: bàzga — fruit
  • Serbo-Croatian: zóva — fruit
  • Slovene: bezeg — fruit
  • Spanish: baya del saúco — fruit
  • Swedish: fläderbär — fruit
  • Turkish: mürver — fruit
  • Ukrainian: бузина́ (buzyná) — fruit