sloe
Definition from Wiktionary, the free dictionary
Contents |
English [edit]
Etymology [edit]
From Old English slāh, from Proto-Germanic *slaihwō. Cognate with Danish slåen, Dutch slee, German Schlehe and perhaps with Russian слива (sliva, “plum”).
Pronunciation [edit]
- IPA: /sləʊ/
Noun [edit]
sloe (plural sloes)
- The small, bitter, wild fruit of the blackthorn (Prunus spinosa); also, the tree itself.
- 1796, Zoonomia, or, the Laws of Organic Life, by Erasmus Darwin, part II.I.I.III
- There is also a dryness in the mouth from the increased action of the absorbent vessels, when a sloe or a crab-apple are masticated...
- 1872, The Snow Queen by H.C.Andersen, translation by Paull
- The dew-drops fell like water, leaf after leaf dropped from the trees, the sloe-thorn alone still bore fruit, but the sloes were sour, and set the teeth on edge. Oh, how dark and weary the whole world appeared!
- 1899, Resurrection, by Leo Tolstoy, translation by Maude, chapter 12
- Katusha, with her eyes black as sloes, her face radiant with joy, was flying towards him, and they caught hold of each other`s hands.
- 1796, Zoonomia, or, the Laws of Organic Life, by Erasmus Darwin, part II.I.I.III
- Any of various other plants of the genus Prunus, as a shrub or small tree, Prunus alleghaniensis, bearing dark-purple fruit.
Derived terms [edit]
Translations [edit]
Prunus spinosa
