jerusalem cherry

2 definitions found

jerusalem cherry - Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 :

  Jerusalem \Je*ru"sa*lem\ (j[-e]*r[udd]"s[.a]*l[e^]m), n. [Gr.
     'Ieroysalh`m, fr. Heb. Y[e^]r[=u]sh[=a]laim.]
     The chief city of Palestine, intimately associated with the
     glory of the Jewish nation, and the life and death of Jesus
     Christ.
     [1913 Webster]
  
     Jerusalem artichoke [Perh. a corrupt. of It. girasole i.e.,
        sunflower, or turnsole. See Gyre, Solar.] (Bot.)
     (a) An American plant, a perennial species of sunflower
         (Helianthus tuberosus), whose tubers are sometimes used
         as food.
     (b) One of the tubers themselves.
  
     Jerusalem cherry (Bot.), the popular name of either of two
        species of Solanum (Solanum Pseudo-capsicum and
        Solanum capsicastrum), cultivated as ornamental house
        plants. They bear bright red berries of about the size of
        cherries.
  
     Jerusalem oak (Bot.), an aromatic goosefoot (Chenopodium  Botrys
        ), common about houses and along roadsides.
  
     Jerusalem sage (Bot.), a perennial herb of the Mint family
        (Phlomis tuberosa).
  
     Jerusalem thorn (Bot.), a spiny, leguminous tree
        (Parkinsonia aculeata), widely dispersed in warm
        countries, and used for hedges.
  
     The New Jerusalem, Heaven; the Celestial City.
        [1913 Webster]

jerusalem cherry - WordNet (r) 2.1 (2005) :

  Jerusalem cherry
      n 1: small South American shrub cultivated as a houseplant for
           its abundant ornamental but poisonous red or yellow cherry-
           sized fruit [syn: Jerusalem cherry, winter cherry,
           Madeira winter cherry, Solanum pseudocapsicum]