[Elamur Dictionary](https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/english/gooseberry/)

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# gooseberry

noun (a gooseberry, gooseberries)

«gooseberry» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. A small, round, sour green or reddish fruit with fine hairs and stripes that grows on a prickly bush. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/G/gooseberry/#m1)
2. (UK, informal) «Play gooseberry» means to be the third person with a couple who want to be alone. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/G/gooseberry/#m2)
3. Cape gooseberry: a different small orange fruit in a papery case. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/G/gooseberry/#m3)

### In the lessons

In gardening and food lessons gooseberries are a traditional British fruit used in pies, jam and «gooseberry fool». In everyday British talk, being «a gooseberry» means feeling left out with a couple. Phrases: gooseberry jam, gooseberry bush, play gooseberry.

### Examples

- We picked gooseberries from Grandad's prickly bush. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/G/gooseberry/#x1)
- Gooseberries are very sour unless you cook them with sugar. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/G/gooseberry/#x2)
- Mum made a gooseberry crumble. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/G/gooseberry/#x3)
- I didn't want to play gooseberry, so I left my sister and her boyfriend alone. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/G/gooseberry/#x4)
- Cape gooseberries are orange and sweet. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/G/gooseberry/#x5)
- The gooseberry bush scratched my arms. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/G/gooseberry/#x6)

### Note

Plural: gooseberries (y → ies). Pronounced GOOZ-buh-ree (UK) or GOOS-berry. It has nothing to do with geese. Old joke for small children: babies were «found under a gooseberry bush», which is not true.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «gooseberry» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/G/gooseberry/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«gooseberry» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/gooseberry.html) on Mova free.