any shrub or small tree belonging to the genus Corylus, of the birch family, having toothed, ovate leaves and bearing edible nuts, as C. avellana, of Europe, or C. americana and C. cornuta, of the Western Hemisphere.
any of several other shrubs or trees, as an Australian shrub, Pomaderris apetala.
the wood of any of these trees.
the hazelnut or filbert.
light golden brown, as the color of a hazelnut.
of or relating to the hazel.
made of the wood of the hazel.
having a light golden-brown color.
Also called: cob. any of several shrubs of the N temperate genus Corylus, esp C. avellana, having oval serrated leaves and edible rounded brown nuts: family Corylaceae
the wood of any of these trees
short for hazelnut
a light yellowish-brown colour
( as adjective )
hazel eyes
What color are hazel eyes? Opinions vary on what, exactly, constitutes hazel eyes. Some consider them to be any shade with light brown or gold tones; others think they are a variation of brown eyes, only with more green or gold in the iris.
before 900; Middle English hasel; Old English hæs ( e ) l; cognate with German Hasel, Old Norse hasl, Latin corylus hazel shrub
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Authorities said that Coughran — who they described as a 6-foot-2, 150-pound white man with brown hair and hazel eyes — may have been wearing khaki shorts.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 31, 2026
Their findings show that temperate woodland species, including oak, elm, and hazel, were present much earlier than suggested by pollen records from Britain.
From Science Daily ● Apr. 17, 2026
The latest 'State of The Climate Report, external' published by the Met Office in 2025 revealed the flowering of hazel was almost 10 days earlier now than in the past.
From BBC ● Mar. 4, 2026
The missile, named after the Russian word for hazel tree, was first fired on the central Ukrainian city of Dnipro in 2024.
From Barron's ● Jan. 9, 2026
He is another skeleton, but even in their dark hollows, his eyes are bright, hazel like my father's.
From "What the Night Sings" by Vesper Stamper
In Beatles scholar Kevin Howlett’s detailed account of the making of the album, presented here in a tastefully illustrated 88-page hardback book, one of the unsung heroes of the record is Hazel Yarwood.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 6, 2026
Hazel dormice are a European Protected Species and are considered vulnerable to extinction, but their presence is a marker of a healthy, well-connected landscape.
From BBC ● Sep. 25, 2026
"We're expecting the number of people will still increase... so there might still be traffic tonight," regional police spokeswoman Hazel Asilo told AFP.
From Barron's ● Jun. 30, 2026
Their daughters, Hazel and Violet, both act in school plays and have started to love visiting their parents on set.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 4, 2026
“You’re right, Clytius. Hazel Levesque is not Hercules or Dionysus, but I think you will find her just as formidable.”
From "The House of Hades" by Rick Riordan
When placing plants in the quiet-season garden, Fox recommends planting dark-flowered witch hazels where the winter sun will shine through their blossoms, and placing light-colored flowers against an evergreen backdrop.
From Seattle Times ● Nov. 20, 2021
In theory, the warmer, shorter winter opens up new possibilities for the garden, allowing landscapes to become alive with such things as the misnamed autumn-flowering cherry tree, witch hazels, camellias, Japanese flowering apricot and snowdrops.
From Washington Post ● Jun. 1, 2021
We declare the season underway next week, but the natural stirring has been going on for some time, although probably unnoticed unless you grow camellias or witch hazels or keep honeybees.
From Washington Post ● Mar. 11, 2019
TUE Ray Larson, Curator of Living Collections, on witch hazels, 7:30 p.m.
From Seattle Times ● Jan. 15, 2014
As quickly as they could they scrambled off the beaten way and up into the deep heather and bilberry brushwood on the slopes above, until they came to a small patch of thick-growing hazels.
From "The Fellowship of the Ring" by J.R.R. Tolkien
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