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bittersweet definition

bitter·sweet (bitər swēt′)

noun

  1. ☆ a North American twining woody vine (Celastrus scandens) of the staff-tree family, with poisonous leaves, and bearing clusters of small orange fruits with bright-red fleshy seeds
  2. a poisonous, climbing European vine (Solanum dulcamara) of the nightshade family, with purple flowers and red berries, now widely found as a weed in North America
    1. bitterness and sweetness combined
    2. pleasure mixed with overtones of sadness

adjective

  1. both bitter and sweet, as dark chocolate made with little sugar
  2. pleasant with overtones of sadness

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2009 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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