hawthorn

[ haw-thawrn ]

/ ˈhɔˌθɔrn /

noun

any of numerous plants belonging to the genus Crataegus, of the rose family, typically a small tree with stiff thorns, certain North American species of which have white or pink blossoms and bright-colored fruits and are cultivated in hedges.

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Commas mark divisions in sentences. Periods end declarative sentences. Apostrophes show possession. Easy, right? Well, punctuation can get pretty tricky—fast. Think you got what it takes to be a punctuation expert? Take our quiz to prove it!

Question 1 of 10

Which of the options below is the best punctuation for the sentence? It__s your turn to pick the movie __ but your sister gets to pick the board game we _ re going to play.

Its your turn to pick the movie but your sister gets to pick the board game we’re going to play.

It’s your turn to pick the movie but your sister gets to pick the board game were going to play.

It’s your turn to pick the movie, but your sister gets to pick the board game we’re going to play.

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Origin of hawthorn

before 900; Middle English; Old English haguthorn, cognate with Middle Dutch hagedorn, Middle High German hagendorn, Old Norse hagthorn. See haw³, thorn

OTHER WORDS FROM hawthorn

haw·thorn·y, adjective

Words nearby hawthorn

hawsehole, hawsepipe, hawser, hawser bend, hawser-laid, hawthorn, hawthorne, hawthorne effect, hawthorne, nathaniel, hawthornesque, hay

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for hawthorn

And yet he was conquered by a woman; the fairy Vivien enchanted the enchanter and kept him in a hawthorn bush under a spell.
The Life of Joan of Arc, Vol. 1 and 2 (of 2)|Anatole France
When I was here some years ago it was May, the hawthorn hedges were in bloom, and the whole country was robed in tender green.
A Year in Europe|Walter W. Moore
He broke a twig from a hawthorn bush beside him, and sat twisting it in his fingers as he stared down the line of the gold bridge.
The Harvester|Gene Stratton Porter
A hawthorn in blossom exhibited its pink sheath; lilacs drooped, borne down by their foliage.
Bouvard and Pcuchet|Gustave Flaubert

It feeds from April to June on sallow, hawthorn, and many other plants.
The Moths of the British Isles, First Series|Richard South

British Dictionary definitions for hawthorn

hawthorn

/ (ˈhɔːˌθɔːn) /

noun

any of various thorny trees or shrubs of the N temperate rosaceous genus Crataegus, esp C. oxyacantha, having white or pink flowers and reddish fruits (haws)Also called (in Britain): may, may tree, mayflower

Word Origin for hawthorn

Old English haguthorn from haga hedge + thorn thorn; related to Old Norse hagthorn, Middle High German hagendorn, Dutch haagdoorn

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012