agarita

noun

ag·​a·​ri·​ta

ˌa-gə-ˈrē-tə,

ˌä-

variants or less commonly agrito

ə-ˈgrē-(ˌ)tō

plural -s

: a shrub (Mahonia trifoliata) of Texas, New Mexico, and adjacent Mexico that yields a yellow dye, a tanning extract, and an ink and produces a bright red berry that is used to make jelly compare oregon grape

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from regional Spanish (Mexico, Texas, U.S. Southwest) agarita, algerita, agrito, agritos, all probably reshaped from agrillo, noun derivative of Spanish agrillo "somewhat sour," attenuated form of agrio "sour, acidic," alteration (after agriar "to cause to turn sour") of Old Spanish agro, going back to Latin ācr-, ācer "sharp, bitter"

First Known Use

1886, in the meaning defined above

Love words?

You must — there are over 200,000 words in our free online dictionary, but you are looking for one that’s only in the Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary.

Start your free trial today and get unlimited access to America's largest dictionary, with:

• More than 250,000 words that aren't in our free dictionary
• Expanded definitions, etymologies, and usage notes
• Advanced search features
• Ad free!