Indian gooseberryn. A tree (Phyllanthus emblica) of subtropical South and Southeast Asia bearing small round sour fruits divided by vertical lines into six to eight segments, valued in Ayurvedic medicine and as an ingredient in various condiments. Also called amla, emblic.American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.