1. The small, edible, purplish-black fruit of the common American elder (Sambucus canadensis), sometimes used to make wine or preserves.
2. A shrub or tree that bears elderberries.

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.