thorn apple

noun

1

: jimsonweed

also : any plant of the same genus

2

: the fruit of a hawthorn

also : hawthorn

Examples of thorn apple in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

But during the Bronze Age, European shamans would have had to use the plants available to them, the study suggests, including such nightshades as mandrake, henbane, thorn apple and joint pine. —Matt Hrodey, Discover Magazine, 13 Apr. 2023

Atropine and scopolamine, powerful hallucinogens, can be found in plants in the nightshade family, among them mandrake, henbane and thorn apple. —Andrew Jacobs, New York Times, 6 Apr. 2023

This looks like jimsonweed (Datura stramonium), also called thorn apple because of its spiky fruit. —oregonlive, 5 Oct. 2019

Word History

First Known Use

1578, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Medical Definition

thorn apple

noun

ˈthȯ(ə)rn- 

: jimsonweed

also : any plant of the genus Datura