Meaning & use
physalis
Last updated
Meanings
nouncountabletechnical
A small orange fruit with a papery covering, or the plant that produces it.
Grammar: Countable but the plural is usually the same: one physalis, two physalis.
Patterns
- a physalis
- physalis fruit
She decorated the dessert with a physalis on top.
Physalis grows well in warm, sunny gardens.
The papery husk around each physalis is not eaten.
noununcountabletechnicalbiology
The genus of plants that includes cape gooseberry and Chinese lantern.
Grammar: Used as a scientific genus name, so it is not used with 'a' or in the plural.
Patterns
- the genus Physalis
- Physalis species
Physalis is a genus in the nightshade family.
Several Physalis species are grown as ornamental plants.
Common combinations
- physalis fruit
- The physalis fruit is sweet and slightly tart.
- cape gooseberry
- Cape gooseberry is another name for the physalis.
- papery husk
- Remove the papery husk before eating the physalis.
- Chinese lantern
- The Chinese lantern is a related physalis grown for its orange husks.
Synonyms and how they differ
- cape gooseberry
- The common English name for the same fruit, used especially in cooking and gardening.
- ground cherry
- A broader American name for several physalis species, not just the commercial fruit.
Commonly confused: physalis or physoalis?
physalis vs physoalis
A misspelling; the correct spelling is 'physalis'.
Practice
What is a physalis?
Choose one answer.
A physalis is a fruit (and the plant that bears it), known for its papery husk. The other options are unrelated.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “physalis”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.