hickory

noun

hick·​o·​ry ˈhi-k(ə-)rē 

plural hickories

1

a

: any of a genus (Carya) of North American hardwood trees of the walnut family that often have sweet edible nuts

b

: the usually tough wood of a hickory

2

: a switch or cane (as of hickory wood) used especially for punishing a child

hickory adjective

Examples of hickory in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Virginia Shenandoah National Park is home to deciduous trees, including oaks, hickories, maples, and birches resulting in a stunning color palette ranging from deep reds and oranges to bright yellows and golds. —Michele Herrmann, Forbes, 5 Oct. 2024

Shades of fire and flame illuminate maples and hickories, while towering oaks and beeches change to copper before emptying their branches. —Caroline Rogers, Southern Living, 13 Sep. 2024

The trees at higher elevations — including yellow birch and mountain maple — will begin to change as early as mid-September, but the most impressive display comes when the sugar maple, scarlet oak, and hickories, among other tree types, hit peak transformation in October. —Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 7 Sep. 2024

Listen to this article Patsy Hirsch and her husband moved to an Elgin subdivision nearly three decades ago, drawn by a backyard thicket of oak, hickory and cherry trees so dense the canopy blotted out the sun. —Michael Hawthorne, Chicago Tribune, 4 Aug. 2024

Word History

Etymology

short for obsolete pokahickory, from Virginia Algonquian pawcohiccora food prepared from pounded nuts

First Known Use

1670, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing hickory

• shagbark hickory

Kids Definition

hickory

noun

hick·​o·​ry ˈhik-(ə-)rē 

plural hickories

1

: any of a genus of North American trees related to the walnut and having an edible nut with a hard shell

2

: the usually tough pale wood of a hickory

Geographical Definition

Hickory

geographical name

Hick·​o·​ry ˈhi-kə-rē 

city in west central North Carolina population 40,010