n.
Pronunciation: ' bi-t ə r- ˌ sw ē t
Function: noun
Date: 14th century
1 : something that is bittersweet especially : pleasure alloyed with pain
2 a : a poisonous Eurasian woody vine ( Solanum dulcamara ) of the nightshade family that has purple flowers and oval reddish berries and is naturalized in No. America b : a No. American poisonous woody vine ( Celastrus scandens ) of the staff-tree family having clusters of small greenish flowers succeeded by yellow capsules that open when ripe and disclose the scarlet aril