n.
- A deciduous North American shrub or small tree (Prunus virginiana) in the rose family, having elongate clusters of small white flowers and astringent, dark red to nearly black fruit.
- The fruit of this plant.
[From its bitter fruit.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.