noun
hawthorn
HAW-thorn/ˈhɔːθɔːrn/
A thorny shrub or tree with clusters of small flowers and berries.
A hawthorn beside the fence bears clusters of small white flowers.
Etymology
The name combines “hedge” with “thorn”: this thorny shrub was named for its use in hedges. It connects the plant’s prickly character with its role as a living boundary.
In context
A big man he bore away; yet the unhappy wretch looked no larger than a hawthorn berry in the beak of a blackbird.
More examples
- Birds eat the red berries on the hawthorn.
- We plant hawthorns along the boundary to form a hedge.
- Wear thick gloves when pruning a hawthorn to avoid its thorns.
Forms
hawthorn · hawthorns