gooseberry

n.; pl. Gooseberries [ Corrupted for groseberry or groiseberry, fr. OF. groisele, F. groseille, -- of German origin; cf. G. krausbeere, kräuselbeere (fr. kraus crisp), D. kruisbes, kruisbezie (as if crossberry, fr. kruis cross; for kroesbes, kroesbezie, fr. kroes crisp), Sw. krusbär (fr. krus, krusing, crisp). The first part of the word is perh. akin to E. curl. Cf. Grossular, a. ] 1. (Bot.) Any thorny shrub of the genus Ribes; also, the edible berries of such shrub. There are several species, of which Ribes Grossularia is the one commonly cultivated. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A silly person; a goose cap. Goldsmith. [ 1913 Webster ]

Barbadoes gooseberry, a climbing prickly shrub (Pereskia aculeata) of the West Indies, which bears edible berries resembling gooseberries. --
Coromandel gooseberry. See Carambola. --
Gooseberry fool. See 1st Fool. --
Gooseberry worm (Zool.), the larva of a small moth (Dakruma convolutella). It destroys the gooseberry by eating the interior. [ 1913 Webster ]