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.
Buglife said animals including the Straw Belle, which now only survives at up to two sites in Surrey, and one of the UK's rarest insect, the hazel pot beetle, stand to benefit from the project.
From BBC ● Jun. 13, 2026
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 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
"Excuse me," he said, hoping to pacify whoever was sitting beneath the hazel tree, and praying that it was not more of the little people who had stolen his hat.
From "Stardust" by Neil Gaiman
In Ashton-in-Makerfield, 61-year-old Hazel Ellis told AFP she planned to vote for Reform.
From Barron's ● Jun. 18, 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
For her 6th birthday party in January, Amy Tzagournis’ daughter Hazel wanted special guests: the characters from “KPop Demon Hunters.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 29, 2026
Bereaved mother Liz Charlton spoke publicly this week about "maternity failings" which she said had led to the death of her daughter, Hazel, in 2021.
From BBC ● Apr. 15, 2026
In front of them stretched a chasm so wide, Hazel couldn’t see the other side.
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
Elsewhere, the hybrid witch hazels are just starting.
From Washington Post ● Jan. 5, 2021
No garden should be without hellebores or a daphne or two, winterberry hollies and witch hazels.
From Washington Post ● Nov. 19, 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
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
