# strawberry

Pronunciation: US say "STRAW-ber-ee" /ˈstɹɔˌbɛɹi/; UK say "STRAW-buh-ree" /ˈstɹɔːb(ə)ɹi/

## Noun

1. A sweet, usually red, edible fruit borne by plants of the genus Fragaria.
   - Simple: A small, sweet red fruit that grows close to the ground and is dotted with tiny seeds.
   - _She topped the cake with a single ripe strawberry._
   - _Wild strawberries are smaller and more fragrant than the ones sold in stores._
3. A low-growing plant of the genus Fragaria, grown for its sweet red fruit.
   - Simple: A low, leafy garden plant that grows small, sweet red fruit.
   - _Each strawberry sends out runners that root into new plants._
   - _Gardeners cover their strawberries with netting to keep birds away._
5. A dark pinkish-red color, like that of the ripe fruit.
   - Simple: A pinkish-red color, like a ripe strawberry.
   - _The designer chose strawberry for the accent wall._
   - _Her gown was a vivid strawberry that glowed under the lights._
8. A sex worker whose payment for sexual services is crack cocaine. *(slang, US)*
   - Simple: A woman who trades sex for crack cocaine.
   - _A strawberry from the next street traded sex for a few rocks of crack._
   - _The report called them strawberries, women who trade sex for crack cocaine._

## Adjective

2. Containing strawberries or having their sweet, fruity flavor, whether natural or produced artificially.
   - Simple: Made with strawberries, or tasting like strawberries, even when the flavor is artificial.
   - _He spread strawberry jam across his warm toast._
   - _The dessert menu featured a strawberry tart topped with fresh fruit._
4. Of a pinkish-red color like that of strawberry-flavored foods.
   - Simple: Having the pinkish-red color of strawberry candy or ice cream.
   - _He wore a plain strawberry sweater that looked like a scoop of sherbet._
   - _She picked a strawberry nail polish for the party._

## Verb

7. To go out and gather wild or cultivated strawberries.
   - Simple: To go out and pick strawberries.
   - _On Saturday mornings in early summer, half the town goes strawberrying at the local farms._
   - _We spent the afternoon strawberrying along the edge of the woods and ate more than we kept._

## Noun

6. A reddish mark resembling the fruit, especially a bruise, birthmark, or infant's hemangioma. *(rare)*
   - Simple: A red mark on the skin that looks like the fruit, such as a bruise or birthmark.

## Other meanings

- (noun) The round red fruit of the strawberry tree, a species of Arbutus.
- (verb) To take on a dark pinkish-red color.

## Origin

Old English strēawberġe, made of straw and berry, became Middle English strawbery. The name may reflect the custom, still common in parts of Europe, of threading strawberries on a straw or stalk to gather them.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/strawberry (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).