mulberry

noun

mul·​ber·​ry ˈməl-ˌber-ē 

-b(ə-)rē

1

: any of a genus (Morus of the family Moraceae, the mulberry family) of trees with an edible usually purple multiple fruit that is an aggregate of juicy one-seeded drupes

also : the fruit

2

: a dark purple or purplish black

Examples of mulberry in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Gilbert Flores/Getty Images Nearly as eye-catching as her bling was Saldaña’s strapless Saint Laurent gown, which had a triple-tiered bubble hem skirt in mulberry silk and a sheer-illusion bodice with a rhinestone net overlay. —Kathleen Walsh, Glamour, 3 Mar. 2025

Made from 100% mulberry silk, the fabric is processed without using any harmful chemicals in a mill that uses non-toxic dyes. —Angelina Villa-Clarke, Forbes, 21 Feb. 2025

It can also be produced from less common food sources such as dates, mulberries, and apricots. —Johna Burdeos, Health, 17 Sep. 2024

What became of their house, and the mulberry tree in their yard? —Mosab Abu Toha, The New Yorker, 31 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English mulbere, mulbery, probably dissimilated from Old English *mūrberie, variant of mōrberie (with mūr- as in mūrbēam "mulberry tree"), from mūr- (borrowed from Medieval Latin mūrum, variant of Latin mōrum "black mulberry, blackberry," probably of Mediterranean substratal origin, as also Greek móron "black mulberry, blackberry," Armenian mor "blackberry") + berie berry entry 1

Note: The presumed dissimilated form represented by Middle English mulbere is paralleled by Middle Low German mūlbēre "mulberry" (next to mūrbēre), Old Saxon mūlbōm "mulberry tree" (in a gloss, next to mōrbōm), late Old High German mūlboum, mūlbere (in glosses, next to mūrberi, mōrberi, mūrboum). The assumption has been made that the Middle English word was borrowed from Middle Low German, though it seems more likely that dissimilated forms were passed northward through the West Germanic speech area—or developed independently—as the word diffused along with cultivation of the berry in the Carolingian period; cultivation of mulberries is mentioned in the late-8th-century Capitulare de villis dealing with the upkeep of Charlemagne's estates.

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing mulberry

• Indian mulberry
• paper mulberry
• red mulberry

Rhymes for mulberry

• askari
• astbury
• azeri
• banbury
• barberry
• blackberry
• blueberry
• canary
• cranberry
• dentary
• dewberry
• dogberry

Kids Definition

mulberry

noun

mul·​ber·​ry ˈməl-ˌber-ē 

1

: any of a genus of trees that have small edible usually purple fruits and leaves on which silkworms can be fed

also : the fruit of a mulberry

2

: a dark purple or purplish black

Medical Definition

mulberry

noun

mul·​ber·​ry ˈməl-ˌber-ē, -b(ə-)rē 

plural mulberries

: any of a genus (Morus of the family Moraceae, the mulberry family) of trees with an edible usually purple fruit that includes one (M. nigra) with a fruit whose juice is sometimes used for its medicinal properties

also : the fruit