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

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 • Aug. 12, 2024

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

From National Geographic • Jul. 17, 2023

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

From Seattle Times • Jul. 9, 2021

As David O’Hara began reading the third chapter, a man leaning on a blackthorn stick pulled out his copy of Ulysses to read along.

From New York Times • Jun. 16, 2017

Now he came to think about it, he had not yet tried casting a Patronus with the blackthorn wand....He must try that in the morning....

From "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" by J.K. Rowling