hickory

[ hik-uh-ree, hik-ree ]

/ ˈhɪk ə ri, ˈhɪk ri /

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See synonyms for hickory on Thesaurus.com

noun, plural hick·o·ries.

any of several North American trees belonging to the genus Carya, of the walnut family, certain species of which bear edible nuts or yield a valuable wood.Compare pecan, shagbark.

the wood of any of these trees.

a switch, stick, etc., of this wood.

Baseball Slang. a baseball bat.

Also called hick·o·ry cloth, hick·o·ry stripe . a strong fabric of twill construction, used chiefly in the manufacture of work clothes.

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Origin of hickory

First recorded in 1610–20, Americanism; earlier pohickery, from Virginia Algonquian (English spelling) pocohiquara, the name of a milky drink prepared from hickory nuts

Words nearby hickory

hick, hickey, hick-joint pointing, Hickok, Hickok, Wild Bill, hickory, “Hickory, Dickory, Dock”, Hickory Hills, hickory pine, Hickox, Hicks

Other definitions for hickory (2 of 2)

Hickory

[ hik-uh-ree, hik-ree ]

/ ˈhɪk ə ri, ˈhɪk ri /

noun

a city in W North Carolina.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use hickory in a sentence

Chanty said the Youngkins are not registered to vote at the Hickory precinct, making the teen’s effort to cast a ballot there even more peculiar.
Virginia Gov.-elect Youngkin’s underaged son tried to vote in Tuesday’s election, elections officials said|Antonio Olivo|November 5, 2021|Washington Post
Once the fog disappears, you’re left with a stack of hickory-kissed ribs, meaty and tender if sweeter than I like.
Count on crisp and juicy fried chicken at the bustling new Yardbird in D.C.|Tom Sietsema|June 25, 2021|Washington Post
Hickory is a common smoky flavor profile in barbecue, and many sauces achieve that flavor by using liquid smoke, which is created by burning hickory at high temperatures to make smoke that’s then collected and transformed.
The Ultimate Guide to Barbecue Sauces|Lazarus Lynch|June 11, 2021|Eater
After all, each halibut, hickory tree, or human being appears to be distinct and fixed in time—or at least identifiable as this object, this creature, this person.
Over Time, Buddhism and Science Agree - Issue 94: Evolving|David P. Barash|December 23, 2020|Nautilus

Pecan is a southern species of hickory with a flavor that resembles most other hickory nuts.
13 edible plants you can still find in the winter|By Tim MacWelch/Outdoor Life|December 1, 2020|Popular-Science
Outside, oak and hickory and pecan trees dotted the rolling grassland.
The Death of a Rodeo Cowboy|Peter Richmond|May 11, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Salmon, tuna, sturgeon, mussels, oysters, and sable are marinated and smoked using hickory and alder wood.
Become a Fried Seafood Believer at South Beach Market|Jane & Michael Stern|April 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Bill Kristol's comparison of the Alaskan governor to Old Hickory doesn't fly.
Resolved: Sarah Palin Is Not Andrew Jackson|Jon Meacham|October 15, 2008|DAILY BEAST
Of course he was contemplating the application of a "two year old hickory," as he went on at the rate of two forty.
The Book of Anecdotes and Budget of Fun;|Various
There was a quiet, cynical smile on his face as he sat there beating a tattoo on his leggings with a hickory twig.
The Soldier of the Valley|Nelson Lloyd
Coal is best, but hickory saplings, chopped about two feet long, make a good steaming heat.
Tobacco; Its History, Varieties, Culture, Manufacture and Commerce|E. R. Billings.
Holding out his hand, white as a woman's, a diamond flashed on the ring-finger as large as a hickory nut.
Balsamo, The Magician|Alexander Dumas
Without a word, Jim's right hand crept stealthily inside his hickory shirt, where a button was missing.
The Shepherd of the Hills|Harold Bell Wright

British Dictionary definitions for hickory

hickory

/ (ˈhɪkərɪ) /

noun plural -ries

any juglandaceous tree of the chiefly North American genus Carya, having nuts with edible kernels and hard smooth shellsSee also pecan, pignut (def. 1), bitternut (def. 1), shagbark

the hard tough wood of any of these trees

the nut of any of these trees

a switch or cane made of hickory wood

Word Origin for hickory

C17: from earlier pohickery, from Algonquian pawcohiccora food made from ground hickory nuts

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

hickory

Origin of hickory

Words nearby hickory

Other definitions for hickory (2 of 2)

Words related to hickory

How to use hickory in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for hickory

Word Origin for hickory