noun
- Plural of boxberry; small, red berries produced by the wintergreen plant (Gaultheria procumbens), also called checkerberries or teaberries.
Usage: chiefly North American; often used in regional or folk contexts
Examples
- The children gathered boxberries from the forest floor in late autumn.
- Boxberries have a distinctive minty flavor and were traditionally used to make tea.
- The bright red boxberries contrasted beautifully against the dark green wintergreen leaves.
- Native Americans used boxberries for both food and medicinal purposes.
- In some regions, boxberries are still foraged and enjoyed as a natural candy.