physalis

noun

physa·​lis

ˈfīsələ̇s,

ˈfis-;

fīˈsalə̇s

1

capitalized : a large genus of low-growing chiefly American annual or perennial herbs (family Solanaceae) that have an angled campanulate corolla and an inflated and sometimes brightly colored calyx enclosing a fruit which is a greenish or yellow 2-celled globular berry and that include several plants which are cultivated for their edible fruit or their showy calyxes see cape gooseberry , chinese lantern plant , ground-cherry, strawberry tomato

2

plural -es : any plant of the genus Physalis

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, modification of Late Greek physallis Chinese lantern plant, from Greek, bladder, bubble

Love words?

You must — there are over 200,000 words in our free online dictionary, but you are looking for one that’s only in the Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary.

Start your free trial today and get unlimited access to America's largest dictionary, with:

• More than 250,000 words that aren't in our free dictionary
• Expanded definitions, etymologies, and usage notes
• Advanced search features
• Ad free!