blackthorn

noun

black·​thorn ˈblak-ˌthȯrn How to pronounce blackthorn (audio)
: a European spiny plum (Prunus spinosa) with hard wood and small white flowers

Examples of blackthorn in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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An archaeological excavation in Cambridgeshire has revealed a sprig of blackthorn, believed to be a hedge remnant, dating from around 2000 B.C. Management of hedges for agriculture continued under various invading cultures: first the Romans, then the Saxons. Kieran Dodds; Text By Peter Ross, Smithsonian Magazine, 22 Oct. 2020 Hedges, mostly hawthorn and blackthorn, are a distinctive feature of the British countryside. Sam Knight, The New Yorker, 10 Feb. 2020 Thorny scrub — hawthorn, blackthorn, dog rose and bramble — punched through fields that, only a few years earlier, were maize and barley as far as the eye could see. Isabella Tree, Time, 3 Oct. 2019

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of blackthorn was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near blackthorn

Cite this Entry

“Blackthorn.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/blackthorn. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

blackthorn

noun
black·​thorn -ˌthȯrn How to pronounce blackthorn (audio)
: a European spiny plum with hard wood and small white flowers

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