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