Osage orange

American  

noun

1. 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.

2. the round, rough-skinned, inedible fruit of this tree.

---

Osage orange British  

noun

1. a North American moraceous tree, Maclura pomifera, grown for hedges and ornament

2. the warty orange-like fruit of this plant

---

Etymology

Origin of Osage orange

First recorded in 1810–20

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Osage orange

“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

“Thank you!’’ wrote a user who goes by jennieo to someone who identified a light-green, softball-size fruit as an Osage orange.

From New York Times ● Dec. 9, 2022

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

I have Osage orange on the north and a creek with native timber on the south.

From The Apple by Various