crab tree

American  

noun

1. a tree bearing crab apples.

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Etymology

Origin of crab tree

Middle English word dating back to 1300–50

Example Sentences

In an aperture in the "crab tree" the guides recommend ladies to pass.

From Blacker's Art of Fly Making, &c. Comprising Angling, & Dyeing of Colours, with Engravings of Salmon & Trout Flies by Blacker, William

Like a prairie it rolls gently away, dotted with hawthorn bushes, here and there a crab tree, and two rows of noble elms, in both of which the rooks are busy in spring.

From Wild Life in a Southern County by Jefferies, Richard

Here and there crabs cling to the tough crab tree, whose bark has a dull gloss on it something like dark polished leather.

From Wild Life in a Southern County by Jefferies, Richard

They had scarcely marched a mile when, their legs failing them, they were forced to lie down under a crab tree, where they passed the night.

From The Sketch-Book of Geoffrey Crayon by Irving, Washington

Look at that crab tree in the hedge; did you ever see such a magnificent mass of blossom?

From Country Walks of a Naturalist with His Children by Houghton, W. (William)