a shrubby plant (Ruscus aculeatus) of the lily family, with leathery, leaflike, flattened branches, clusters of small, white flowers, and large, red berries
Origin:
? because formerly used to sweep butchers' shops
See butcher's-broom in American Heritage Dictionary 4
noun
An evergreen shrub (Ruscus aculeatus) native to Europe and the Mediterranean region, having leaflike stems, greenish flowers, and usually red berries.