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Definition of "buckthorn" [buck•thorn]

  • Any of various shrubs or small trees of the genus Rhamnus, which includes several ornamentals and a few medicinal species such as the cascara buckthorn. (noun)
  • See bumelia. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Use "buckthorn" in a sentence
  • "Cascara, also called buckthorn, works by stimulating the lining of the upper intestines to promote normal bowel function."
  • "Sometimes volunteers pull weeds at events called buckthorn busts."
  • ""If buckthorn-control is not started immediately, the entire swamp could be classified as a buckthorn thicket and the invasion of buckthorn on the open bog mat advanced," Bergsma and Quinlan warn."