water locust

American

noun

a spiny tree, Gleditsia aquatica, of the legume family, native to the southeastern coastal U.S., having pinnate leaves, greenish-yellow, bell-shaped flowers, and long-stalked, thin pods.

Etymology

Origin of water locust

An Americanism dating back to 1800–10

Example Sentences

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water locust

The water locust, Gleditsia aquatica Marsh., is found in river bottoms in southern Illinois, becoming a medium sized tree.

From Forest Trees of Illinois How to Know Them by Fuller George D.

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023