hawthorn
n.a small tree or bush with sharp thorns, white or pink flowers, and small red berries. You often see it used to make hedges in the countryside.
n.a thorny shrub or small tree of the genus Crataegus, belonging to the rose family. It typically produces white or pink blossoms in spring followed by small, red, pome-like fruits known as haws.
“The white flowers of the hawthorn bloom in May.”
“Farmers often plant hawthorn to create thick, thorny hedges that keep livestock from wandering off the property.”
“The ancient hawthorn stood alone in the middle of the field, its gnarled branches twisted by decades of wind and its thorns hidden beneath a thick layer of spring blossoms.”
Countable when referring to the individual tree; uncountable when referring to the wood or the species in a general botanical sense.
“A beautiful-looking hawthorn bush can have a very unpleasant smell—somewhere between fish and urine.”