noun
hawthorn
HAW-thawn
noun
1
A thorny shrub or small tree (genus Crataegus) with small, apple-like fruits, often used for hedging.
"The lane was lined with hawthorn hedges thick with white blossom."
"Birds love to nest deep inside a hawthorn bush, safe from the thorns."
How to Use Hawthorn
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA thorny hedge plant with small red berries, common in the British countryside.
Common pairings
hawthorn hedge
hawthorn blossom
hawthorn berries
Word Forms
hawthorns plural, Hawthorns plural
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The lane was lined with _____ hedges thick with white blossom.
Etymology
From Old English hagaþorn, literally "hedge-thorn" — the same "haw" as in "haw" (an enclosure) plus "thorn."