Je‐ru″sa‐lem (jē̍‐rṳ″sȧ‐lĕm), n. [Gr. Ιερουσαλἤμ, fr. Heb. Yĕrūshālaim.] The chief city of Palestine, intimately associated with the glory of the Jewish nation, and the life and death of Jesus Christ.
Jerusalem artichoke [Perh. a corrupt. of It. girasolei.e., sunflower, or turnsole. See Gyre, Solar.] (Bot.) (a) An American plant, a perennial species of sunflower (Helianthus tuberosus), whose tubers are sometimes used as food. (b) One of the tubers themselves. — Jerusalem cherry(Bot.), the popular name of either of two species of Solanum (S. Pseudo-capsicum and S. capsicastrum), cultivated as ornamental house plants. They bear bright red berries of about the size of cherries. — Jerusalem oak(Bot.), an aromatic goosefoot (Chenopodium Botrys), common about houses and along roadsides. — Jerusalem sage(Bot.), a perennial herb of the Mint family (Phlomis tuberosa). — Jerusalem thorn(Bot.), a spiny, leguminous tree (Parkinsonia aculeata), widely dispersed in warm countries, and used for hedges. — The New Jerusalem, Heaven; the Celestial City.