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buckthorn definition

buck·thorn (buk′t̸hôrn′)

noun

  1. any of a genus (Rhamnus) of thorny trees or shrubs of the buckthorn family, bearing small greenish flowers and purple berries
  2. any of a genus (Bumelia) of trees of the sapodilla family, native to the S U.S.

Etymology: buck + thorn

adjective

designating a family (Rhamnaceae, order Rhamnales) of dicotyledonous shrubs and trees, including the cascara, jujube, and redroot

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2009 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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