bayberry

noun

bay·​ber·​ry ˈbā-ˌber-ē How to pronounce bayberry (audio)
-ˌbe-rē
1
: any of several wax myrtles
especially : a hardy shrub (Myrica pensylvanica) of coastal eastern North America bearing dense clusters of small berries covered with grayish-white wax
2
: the fruit of a bayberry

Examples of bayberry in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Ocean vistas, as well as those of native pine, bayberry and beach plum that surround the house, abound. — Kim Velsey, Curbed, 28 Aug. 2025 The road transitions from pine trees to bayberries to marshland until reaching a small beach. — Simon Davidson, Travel + Leisure, 19 June 2026 In October, the dunes flare with goldenrod and the bronze of bayberry. — Literary Hub, 4 Nov. 2025 Insects, crustaceans, bayberries and beach plums await the roughly one million birds that rest here before continuing south. — Adam Erace, WSJ, 12 Oct. 2023 See All Example Sentences for bayberry

Word History

First Known Use

1575, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of bayberry was in 1575

Rhymes for bayberry

See All Rhymes for bayberry

Browse Nearby Words

bay bean
bayberry
bayberry bark
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Bayberry.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bayberry. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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Kids Definition

bayberry

noun
bay·​ber·​ry ˈbā-ˌber-ē How to pronounce bayberry (audio)
1
: any of several wax myrtles
especially : a hardy shrub of coastal eastern North America that produces clusters of small berries covered with grayish white wax
2
: the fruit of a bayberry

Medical Definition

bayberry

noun
bay·​ber·​ry
ˈbā-ˌber-ē, British often & US sometimes -b(ə-)rē
plural bayberries
1
: a West Indian tree of the genus Pimenta (P. racemosa) of the myrtle family yielding a yellow aromatic oil
2
a
: any of several wax myrtles
especially : a hardy shrub (Myrica pensylvanica) of coastal eastern North America bearing dense clusters of small globular nuts covered with grayish white wax
b
: the fruit of a bayberry

More from Merriam-Webster on bayberry

Nglish: Translation of bayberry for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about bayberry

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