Osage orange
Americannoun
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Also called bois d'arc, bowwood. a tree, Maclura pomifera, of the mulberry family, native to the south-central U.S., having hard, yellowish wood and often cultivated for hedges.
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the round, rough-skinned, inedible fruit of this tree.
noun
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a North American moraceous tree, Maclura pomifera, grown for hedges and ornament
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the warty orange-like fruit of this plant
Etymology
Origin of Osage orange
First recorded in 1810–20
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“They have more soul,” Berkofsky said of his patterned carbon-steel knives, which feature elegant handles he has sculpted in rare wood such as charred Osage orange, black ash burl and live edge double-dyed maple.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 19, 2025
Thorns are modified branches appearing as sharp outgrowths that protect the plant; common examples include roses, Osage orange and devil’s walking stick.
From Textbooks ● Jun. 9, 2022
Today, the Tunica Hills are covered in oak and loblolly pine, sweetgum and pawpaw, Osage orange and flowering magnolia, along with many other plants.
From Salon ● Feb. 14, 2021
Though Osage orange and black locust have traditionally been used for fence posts, they have what luthiers call a great “tap tone.”
From Seattle Times ● Jan. 5, 2020
Windbreaks are essential; would make them of Osage orange, by setting the plants twelve inches apart.
From The Apple by Various
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.
