sloe
Americannoun
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the small, sour, blackish fruit of the blackthorn, Prunus spinosa, of the rose family.
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the shrub itself.
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any of various other plants of the genus Prunus, as a shrub or small tree, P. alleghaniensis, bearing dark-purple fruit.
noun
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the small sour blue-black fruit of the blackthorn
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another name for blackthorn
Etymology
Origin of sloe
before 900; Middle English slo, Old English slā ( h ); cognate with German Schlehe, Dutch slee
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.
This applies to lots of fruits that are the same colour including damsons, sloes and juniper berries.
From Science Daily
Their plum-like, inky blue-purple sloe berries became synonymous with the English countryside.
From Washington Times
It’s a wonderfully economic performance, all slouch and sloe eyes, offering a moral thermometer of the fallen world through which Raylan moves via Olyphant’s sly repertoire of expressions: grin, smirk, smile, hard stare, blank bemusement.
From New York Times
Recently, I have been adding a little Sipsmith sloe gin for tartness and backbone.
From Seattle Times
Clinton bled support to minor candidates and sloe Nevada’s unique “none of the above” option.
From Fox News
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.
