hazel

¹

[ hey-zuhl ]

noun

1. any shrub or small tree belonging to the genus Corylus, of the birch family, having toothed, ovate leaves and bearing edible nuts, as C. avellana, of Europe, or C. americana and C. cornuta, of the Western Hemisphere.
2. any of several other shrubs or trees, as an Australian shrub, Pomaderris apetala.
3. the wood of any of these trees.
4. the hazelnut or filbert.
5. light golden brown, as the color of a hazelnut.

adjective

1. of or relating to the hazel.
2. made of the wood of the hazel.
3. having a light golden-brown color.

Hazel

²

[ hey-zuhl ]

noun

1. a female given name.

hazel

/ ˈheɪzəl /

noun

1. Also calledcob any of several shrubs of the N temperate genus Corylus, esp C. avellana, having oval serrated leaves and edible rounded brown nuts: family Corylaceae
2. the wood of any of these trees
3. See hazelnut
   short for hazelnut
4. 1. a light yellowish-brown colour
   2. ( as adjective )

      hazel eyes

Other Words From

• hazel·ly adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of hazel¹

before 900; Middle English hasel; Old English hæs ( e ) l; cognate with German Hasel, Old Norse hasl, Latin corylus hazel shrub

Word History and Origins

Origin of hazel¹

Old English hæsel; related to Old Norse hasl, Old High German hasala, Latin corylus, Old Irish coll

Example Sentences

His hazel eyes actually glimmer and his brown hair, barely beginning to salt and pepper, curls up around a Seattle Seahawks cap.

From The Daily Beast

Never have two people been more in love than Augustus Waters and Hazel Grace Lancaster, and now one of them is about to die.

From The Daily Beast

Gus asks Hazel to speak at his eventual funeral, but decides he wants to hear what she has to say first.

From The Daily Beast

The movie ends with Hazel actually happy—she made the choice to be in love with Gus, and she likes that choice.

From The Daily Beast

In Fault, Hazel is very fixated on meeting her idol, author Peter van Houten.

From The Daily Beast

Her hazel eyes were very round for a moment, then they narrowed, and little humorous lines formed at the corners of her lips.

From Project Gutenberg

He halted too, and turned to her, studying her gentle face, seeking to guess her mind in the clear hazel eyes she raised to his.

From Project Gutenberg

She had bright auburn hair, dark hazel eyes, a fair complexion, and a "dimpled chin."

From Project Gutenberg

The seeds resemble in size and taste those of the hazel; and the roots, when cooked, are said to taste like artichokes.

From Project Gutenberg

She had dark brown hair coming in bangs to the eyebrows, and her eyes were gold-hazel.

From Project Gutenberg