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Definition of "blackthorn" [black•thorn]

  • A thorny deciduous Eurasian shrub (Prunus spinosa) having white flowers and small, bluish-black, plumlike fruits used chiefly for flavoring alcoholic beverages such as sloe gin. Also called sloe. (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 "blackthorn" in a sentence
  • "But once the plant has flowered, the weather then turns cold, a period known as the "blackthorn winter"."
  • "Linnaeus dubbed blackthorn Prunus spinosa because everything about it is prickly, tart, sour and generally stroppy."
  • "Even the aid of the "blackthorn" was occasionally invoked as an effective instrument for securing correction or impressing conviction."