blackthorn
UK /ˈblækˌθɔːn/ · US /ˈblækˌθɔɹn/ noun, proper noun
Forms blackthorns
- noun A large shrub or small tree, Prunus spinosa, that is native to Europe, western Asia, and north Africa. It has a dark bark and bears thorns.
- noun A stick or staff taken from this tree.
- proper noun A village and civil parish in Cherwell district, Oxfordshire, England (OS grid ref SP6219).
Synonyms
sloe Prunus spinosa pear haw pear hawthorn Crataegus calpodendron Crataegus tomentosa
Etymology
Compound of black + thorn.
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 — from the Wiktionary entry “blackthorn”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details