noun
hackberry
HAK-ber-ee
Hackberry (noun) means a deciduous tree of the genus Celtis, found across the Northern Hemisphere, that bears small fruit. Example: “A hackberry grew beside the old barn.”
noun
1
A deciduous tree of the genus Celtis, found across the Northern Hemisphere, that bears small fruit.
"A hackberry grew beside the old barn."
"The park planted a hackberry for shade along the path."
"Birds gathered in the hackberry to eat the small fruit."
2
The small fruit of a hackberry tree.
"Each hackberry was small and dark."
"The birds left a few hackberries on the branch."
"She picked a hackberry and tasted it."
Examples of hackberry in a sentence →
How to use hackberry
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA hackberry is a tree with small fruit, or the fruit itself.
When to use it
It is a plain, everyday word, most often used when talking about trees and nature.
Memory tip
The same word names both the tree and its fruit, so context tells you which is meant.
Trace the full origin ↓
Easily confused with
hagberry
blackberry →
Common pairings
hackberry tree
hackberry fruit
hackberry wood
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Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
A _____ grew beside the old barn.
Etymology
Hackberry is a variant of the older word hagberry.
Rhymes for hackberry
See all rhymes for hackberry →Frequently asked questions
What is a hackberry?
A hackberry is a deciduous tree of the genus Celtis with small fruit. The fruit itself is also called a hackberry.
How do you pronounce hackberry?
In American English it is pronounced HAK-ber-ee, with the stress on the first syllable.
What is the plural of hackberry?
The plural is hackberries.
What is the meaning of hackberry?
"hackberry" (noun) means a deciduous tree of the genus Celtis, found across the Northern Hemisphere, that bears small fruit.
