† ˈberber1 Sc. Obs.
[a. OF. berbère ‘barberry,’ in med.L. berberis, which is also used as the botanical name of the genus.]
= barberry.
From Berberis (stem berberid-) also; ˈberberal a. Bot., of or related to the Barberry, or genus Berberis; applied by Lindley to the ‘alliance’ including the family Berberidaceæ. ˈberberid, any member of the family to which the barberry belongs. berberiˈdaceous, belonging to the family Berberidaceæ, of which the barberry is the type. berbeˈrideous, belonging to the tribe Berberideæ which includes the barberry. berˈberia, ˈberberine, a yellow bitter principle, obtained from the barberry and other plants.
| c 1440 Gaw. & Gologr. (Jam.) Of box and of berber, bigged ful bene. 1878 M. E. Braddon Open Verd. xxv. 176 The shining leaves of bay and berberis. 1866 Treas. Bot. 136 Lindley includes the order in his Berberal Alliance. 1847 Lindley Veg. Kingd. (ed. 2) 421 Anonads are connected with Berberids through Bocagea. 1852 Th. Ross Humboldt's Trav. II. xviii. 171 It was perhaps a tree of the berberideous family. 1876 Harley Mat. Med. 725 Berberia is an alkaloid found abundantly in the common barberry. Ibid. 778 Contains a considerable amount of berberine. 1880 Syd. Soc. Lex., Berberin is..given as a bitter tonic in dyspepsia. |