-kəs noun
Usage: capitalized
Etymology: New Latin, from Latin, elder tree
: a genus of shrubs, trees, or rarely herbs (family Caprifoliaceae) that are native to temperate regions and have pinnate leaves with serrate or incised leaflets, white or pink flowers in thyrsoid cymes with the corolla regular, rotate, and 3- to 5-lobed and with five stamens, and a black or red berrylike fruit