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  • hazel
    hazel
    noun
    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.
  • Hazel
    Hazel
    noun
    a female given name.
Synonyms

hazel

1 American  
[hey-zuhl] / ˈheɪ zəl /

noun

hazels plural
  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 American  
[hey-zuhl] / ˈheɪ zəl /

noun

  1. a female given name.


hazel British  
/ ˈheɪzəl /

noun

  1. Also called: cob.  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. short for hazelnut

    1. a light yellowish-brown colour

    2. ( as adjective )

      hazel eyes

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Usage

What color are hazel eyes? Opinions vary on what, exactly, constitutes hazel eyes. Some consider them to be any shade with light brown or gold tones; others think they are a variation of brown eyes, only with more green or gold in the iris.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Inflected Forms

Nouns

Etymology

Origin of hazel

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

Vocabulary lists containing hazel

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Their daughters, Hazel and Violet, both act in school plays and have started to love visiting their parents on set.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 4, 2026

Hazel McQueen, a finance major at the University of Georgia, set her sights on the Tampa area early in her job search.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 4, 2026

A Tibetan mastiff called Viking, a Pembroke Welsh corgi named Hazel, and miniature schnauzer Spencer were among the six other pooches trying not to look too glum after missing out on the top prize.

From BBC • Mar. 8, 2026

In Pittsburgh, the Glen Hazel eagles recently showed off their second egg of the year to a virtual audience.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 3, 2026

Hazel hadn’t proven anything about how she could manipulate the Mist...mostly because she couldn't manipulate the Mist.

From "The House of Hades" by Rick Riordan

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