1. Also called: boxberry, checkerberry, teaberry, spiceberry, partridgeberry
any of several evergreen ericaceous shrubs of the genus Gaultheria, esp G. procumbens, of E North America, which has white bell-shaped flowers and edible red berries
2. oil of wintergreen
3.
any of various plants of the genus Pyrola, such as P. minor (common wintergreen), of temperate and arctic regions, having rounded leaves and small pink globose flowers: family Pyrolaceae
Usual US name: shinleaf
4.
any of several plants of the genera Orthilia and Moneses: family Pyrolaceae
5. chickweed wintergreen
Word origin
C16: from Dutch wintergroen or German Wintergrün; see winter, green
wintergreen in American English
(ˈwɪntərˌgrin)
noun
1. US
a.
any of several gaultherias; esp., a creeping subshrub (Gaultheria procumbens) having small, rounded evergreen leaves, bell-shaped, white flowers, and red, edibleberries
b.
an aromatic compound (oil of wintergreen) made from the leaves of this plant or the bark of a birch (Betula lenta), or synthetically from salicylic acid: sometimes used in medicine or as a flavoring
c.
the flavor or anything flavored with it
2.
any of a number of similar plants, as the shinleaf or pipsissewa
3.
a milkwort (Polygala paucifolia) with large, rose-lavender flowers
Word origin
based on Ger wintergrün, Du wintergroen: so named because evergreen