bitternut

American  

[bit-er-nuht] / ˈbɪt ərˌnʌt /

noun

1. a hickory, Carya cordiformis, of the eastern and southern U.S., bearing a smooth, gray, bitter seed.

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bitternut British  

/ ˈbɪtəˌnʌt /

noun

1. an E North American hickory tree, Carya cordiformis , with thin-shelled nuts and bitter kernels

2. the nut of this plant

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Etymology

Origin of bitternut

An Americanism dating back to 1800–10; bitter + nut

Example Sentences

The nonnative trees include ponderosa pine from South Dakota and Nebraska, and bitternut hickory from southern Minnesota and Illinois.

From New York Times • Apr. 25, 2019

Palik pointed out bitternut hickory from southern Minnesota and Illinois.

From Washington Post

Many of the varieties of hickory were injured as was the native bitternut, Carya cordiformis.

From Northern Nut Growers Association Incorporated 39th Annual Report at Norris, Tenn. September 13-15 1948 by Northern Nut Growers Association

Too often shagbarks fail to unite with bitternut and frequently they are short-lived.

From Northern Nut Growers Association Incorporated 39th Annual Report at Norris, Tenn. September 13-15 1948 by Northern Nut Growers Association

The number of varieties I tested on bitternut stock is roughly about 75.

From Northern Nut Growers Association Report of the Proceedings at the Thirty-Seventh Annual Report Wooster, Ohio, September 3, 4, 5, 1946 by Northern Nut Growers Association