What does cowberry mean?
Cowberry is chiefly a British and Canadian name for a low-growing evergreen shrub of the heath family and for the small, tart red fruit it produces. The plant, scientifically known as Vaccinium vitis-idaea, grows in northern and montane habitats and forms spreading mats of small, leathery leaves. Its deep-red berries have a sharp, astringent flavor and are used in preserves, sauces, and other fruit preparations. The name combines cow and berry, reflecting the plant's familiar association with pastureland and grazing animals, although the fruit is more commonly marketed internationally as lingonberry. Cowberry can therefore refer either to the whole shrub or, in culinary and household contexts, to a single berry. The term is less common in American English, where related regional names and the marketing term lingonberry are more likely. In recipes, plant guides, and older British writing, recognizing both uses helps distinguish the botanical sense from the culinary one.
nounA low-growing evergreen shrub of the heath family, bearing small, edible red berries; also the fruit itself. The species is scientifically known as Vaccinium vitis-idaea and is widely called lingonberry.
- The low-growing evergreen shrub, Vaccinium vitis-idaea, that bears small red edible berries.
- One of the small, tart red berries produced by this shrub.
"She gathered a basket of ripe cowberries from the rocky hillside."
"The low cowberry bushes spread across the rocky ground in late summer."
"We served cowberry jam with warm scones at afternoon tea."
The plural normally refers to the individual fruits, as in a quantity of cowberries; it can also refer to multiple plants or bushes.
"The bowl was filled with freshly picked cowberries."
A berry with a barnyard name: cowberry is the tart red lingonberry that thrives in cold northern landscapes.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does cowberry come from?
Cowberry is an English compound formed from cow and berry, and it has been used as a country name for the plant since the early modern period. The element berry continues Old English bery, the common English word for the small fruit. Names such as blueberry, cranberry, and gooseberry use the same inherited berry element, while lingonberry is the international trade name now commonly applied to the fruit.
How cowberry is actually used
The term is chiefly associated with British and Canadian English. In North America it is less common than the commercial name lingonberry, and the word may refer either to the entire shrub or to its fruit.
Easily confused with cowberry
Bearberry generally refers to Arctostaphylos uva-ursi, a different heath-family plant, whereas cowberry usually means Vaccinium vitis-idaea.