hawthorn

American  

[haw-thawrn] / ˈhɔˌθɔrn /

noun

hawthorns plural

1. 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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hawthorn British  

/ ˈhɔːˌθɔːn /

noun

1. Also called (in Britain): may.   may tree.   mayflower.  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)

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• hawthorny
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• hawthorns
  plural

Etymology

Origin of hawthorn

before 900; Middle English; Old English haguthorn, cognate with Middle Dutch hagedorn, Middle High German hagendorn, Old Norse hagthorn. See haw ³, thorn

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

hawthorn hawthorns

However, there were sightings of the species in hawthorn and blackthorn trees on the edge of London in June 2023.

From BBC ● Jun. 28, 2026

The hedge-born man conceived in a hookup under the hawthorn bushes in 17th-century Britain was the direct linguistic ancestor of today’s naked short-sellers.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 21, 2026

An array of whole peeled tangerines, strawberries, hawthorn berries and green and red grapes glistened on my phone screen like jewels you only admire but can’t touch.

From Salon ● Mar. 25, 2025

The scheme also included “duck-blood products from unapproved establishments in China,” as well as hawthorn fruit — a restricted agricultural commodity, authorities said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 7, 2024

“Well, who are you?” he said to a dog, whose broken chain was wrapped twice around the hawthorn.

From "Frightful's Mountain" by Jean Craighead George

The artist selected new trees for the enclosures, switching from flowering plums to hawthorns, and opted to replace deteriorating blue wiring that surrounded the enclosures in downtown Seattle with a more resilient purple screen.

From New York Times ● Apr. 3, 2023

Tangles of willows, cottonwoods and hawthorns grew alongside the creek and its tributaries.

From Washington Times ● Jun. 18, 2016

Serviceberry bushes and hawthorns framed a bubbling stream, engineered to look like it was flowing naturally through a ponderosa pine forest.

From Seattle Times ● Jun. 27, 2011

What happened to the green and Washington hawthorns, small trees with spring blossoms and persistent red berries?

From Washington Post

I rolled a log up to the fire for him and shoved it against a tree that was blocked from the raw biting wind by a stand of hawthorns.

From "My Side of the Mountain" by Jean Craighead George