/kow"ber'ee, -beuh ree/ , n. , pl. cowberries .
1. the berry or fruit of any of various shrubs, esp. Vaccinium vitis-idaea, of the heath family, growing in pastures.
2. any of these shrubs.
[ 1790-1800; COW 1 + BERRY, for L vaccinium plant name (in NL: genus name), deriv. of vaccinus of cows; see VACCINE ]