agarita

noun

ag·a·ri·ta

ˌa-gə-ˈrē-tə,

ˌä-

variants or less commonly agrito

ə-ˈgrē-(ˌ)tō

plural -s

: a shrub (Mahonia trifoliata) of Texas, New Mexico, and adjacent Mexico that yields a yellow dye, a tanning extract, and an ink and produces a bright red berry that is used to make jelly compare oregon grape

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from regional Spanish (Mexico, Texas, U.S. Southwest) agarita, algerita, agrito, agritos, all probably reshaped from agrillo, noun derivative of Spanish agrillo "somewhat sour," attenuated form of agrio "sour, acidic," alteration (after agriar "to cause to turn sour") of Old Spanish agro, going back to Latin ācr-, ācer "sharp, bitter"

First Known Use

1886, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler

The first known use of agarita was in 1886

See more words from the same year