buckthorn
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Related to European buckthorn: common teasel
buck·thorn
(bŭk′thôrn′)n.
1. Any of various shrubs or small trees of the genera Rhamnus and Frangula, including several ornamentals, medicinal species such as the cascara buckthorn, and the invasive species R. cathartica.
2. See bumelia.
[Translation of New Latin cervī spīna : cervī, genitive of cervus, deer, buck + spīna, thorn.]
buckthorn
(ˈbʌkˌθɔːn)n
(Plants) any of several thorny small-flowered shrubs of the genus Rhamnus, esp the Eurasian species R. cathartica, whose berries were formerly used as a purgative: family Rhamnaceae. See also sea buckthorn
[C16: from buck1 (from the spiny branches, imagined as resembling antlers) + thorn]
buck•thorn
(ˈbʌkˌθɔrn)n.
1. any of several often thorny trees or shrubs of the genus Rhamnus, of the buckthorn family.
2. a thorny tree, Bumelialycioides, of the sapodilla family, common in the southern U.S., having large clusters of white flowers.
[1570–80; translation of New Latin cervi spina]
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Noun | 1. | ![]() genus Rhamnus, Rhamnus - type genus of the Rhamnaceae: buckthorns buckthorn berry, yellow berry - fruit of various buckthorns yielding dyes or pigments bearberry, bearwood, cascara buckthorn, chittamwood, chittimwood, Rhamnus purshianus - shrubby tree of the Pacific coast of the United States; yields cascara sagrada Carolina buckthorn, indian cherry, Rhamnus carolinianus - deciduous shrub of eastern and central United States having black berrylike fruit; golden-yellow in autumn California buckthorn, California coffee, coffeeberry, Rhamnus californicus - evergreen shrub of western United States bearing small red or black fruits redberry, red-berry, Rhamnus croceus - small spiny evergreen shrub of western United States and Mexico with minute flowers and bright red berries |
2. | buckthorn - any shrub or small tree of the genus Bumelia Bumelia, genus Bumelia - deciduous or evergreen American shrubs small trees having very hard wood and milky latex Bumelia lycioides, shittim, southern buckthorn, shittimwood, mock orange - shrubby thorny deciduous tree of southeastern United States with white flowers and small black drupaceous fruit black haw, Bumelia lanuginosa, false buckthorn, shittimwood, chittamwood, chittimwood - deciduous tree of southeastern United States and Mexico | |
3. | ![]() plantain - any of numerous plants of the genus Plantago; mostly small roadside or dooryard weeds with elliptic leaves and small spikes of very small flowers; seeds of some used medicinally |