blackthorn

American  

[blak-thawrn] / ˈblækˌθɔrn /

noun

1. a shrub or tree of the genus Crataegus, as C. calpodendron.

2. a walking stick made of a blackthorn tree or shrub.

3. Also called sloe.  a much-branched, thorny, Old World shrub, Prunus spinosa, having white flowers and small plumlike fruits.

4. pear haw.

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blackthorn British  

/ ˈblækˌθɔːn /

noun

1. Also called: sloe.  a thorny Eurasian rosaceous shrub, Prunus spinosa , with black twigs, white flowers, and small sour plumlike fruits

2. a walking stick made from its wood

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Etymology

Origin of blackthorn

First recorded in 1350–1400, blackthorn is from Middle English blak thorn. See black, thorn

Example Sentences

The holly, blackthorn, hazel and other native species provide corridors for wildlife as well as absorbing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere as they grow.

From BBC

There is little diversity on the majority of the 146-acre land, with nearly all fields grazed by sheep, but there are some wetter areas and some hedgerows of blackthorn, hawthorn, hazel, oak, gorse and holly.

From BBC

And this is intriguing, because magpies typically construct their roofs out of hawthorn, blackthorn, and rose stems.

From National Geographic

This month they have mysteriously appeared among their favourite habitat: hawthorn and blackthorn trees on the edge of London, where I and other naturalists watched them flitting between hedgerows.

From BBC

The hole has the only tree at Royal St. George’s, a stunted blackthorn right of the green.

From Seattle Times