buckthorn

American  

[buhk-thawrn] / ˈbʌkˌθɔrn /

noun

1. any of several, sometimes thorny trees or shrubs belonging to the genus Rhamnus, especially R. frangula, the bark of which is used in medicine.

2. a tree or shrub belonging to the genus Bumelia, of the sapodilla family, especially B. lycioides, a thorny tree having elliptic leaves and large clusters of white flowers, common in the southern and part of the central U.S.

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buckthorn British  

/ ˈbʌkˌθɔːn /

noun

1. any of several thorny small-flowered shrubs of the genus Rhamnus , esp the Eurasian species R. cathartica , whose berries were formerly used as a purgative: family Rhamnaceae See also sea buckthorn

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Etymology

Origin of buckthorn

1570–80; buck ¹ + thorn, rendering New Latin cervi spina

Example Sentences

In one dish that followed, sea buckthorn berries had been broken down into a cool soup in which nasturtium leaves floated like lily pads.

From New York Times • Sep. 29, 2022

Karstad, a chef, former culinary advisor to the legendary Noma team and father of four, knows that not all of us can raise our own chickens or have easy access to sea buckthorn.

From Salon • Nov. 4, 2021

Similarly, species like buckthorn, he notes, are destructive, but don’t kill all the native plants where they take root.

From Washington Times • Sep. 7, 2020

He's working on a fourth flavor, buckthorn tea with sage.

From Los Angeles Times • May 15, 2018

“She’s better,” I whisper to myself as I scratch a patch of dirt clear of leaf litter, then rip out a buckthorn shoot hiding underneath.

From "Wayward Creatures" by Dayna Lorentz