Library / English Dictionary

JERUSALEM THORN

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 I. (noun) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

East Indian spiny tree having twice-pinnate leaves and yellow flowers followed by flat pods; source of black catechu

Synonyms:

Acacia catechu; catechu; Jerusalem thorn

Classified under:

Nouns denoting plants

Hypernyms ("Jerusalem thorn" is a kind of...):

acacia (any of various spiny trees or shrubs of the genus Acacia)

Meronyms (substance of "Jerusalem thorn"):

black catechu; catechu (extract of the heartwood of Acacia catechu used for dyeing and tanning and preserving fishnets and sails; formerly used medicinally)

Holonyms ("Jerusalem thorn" is a member of...):

genus Acacia (large genus of shrubs and trees and some woody vines of Central and South America, Africa, Australia and Polynesia: wattle; mimosa)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Large shrub or shrubby tree having sharp spines and pinnate leaves with small deciduous leaflets and sweet-scented racemose yellow-orange flowers; grown as ornamentals or hedging or emergency food for livestock; tropical America but naturalized in southern United States

Synonyms:

horsebean; Jerusalem thorn; Parkinsonia aculeata

Classified under:

Nouns denoting plants

Hypernyms ("Jerusalem thorn" is a kind of...):

bush; shrub (a low woody perennial plant usually having several major stems)

Holonyms ("Jerusalem thorn" is a member of...):

genus Parkinsonia; Parkinsonia (small genus of spiny shrubs or small trees)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Spiny tree having dark red edible fruits

Synonyms:

Christ's-thorn; Jerusalem thorn; jujube; jujube bush; Ziziphus jujuba

Classified under:

Nouns denoting plants

Hypernyms ("Jerusalem thorn" is a kind of...):

bush; shrub (a low woody perennial plant usually having several major stems)

Meronyms (parts of "Jerusalem thorn"):

Chinese date; Chinese jujube; jujube (dark red plumlike fruit of Old World buckthorn trees)

Holonyms ("Jerusalem thorn" is a member of...):

genus Ziziphus; Ziziphus (spiny chiefly tropical American and Asiatic shrubs: jujubes)

Sense 4

Meaning:

Thorny Eurasian shrub with dry woody winged fruit

Synonyms:

Christ's-thorn; Jerusalem thorn; Paliurus spina-christi

Classified under:

Nouns denoting plants

Hypernyms ("Jerusalem thorn" is a kind of...):

bush; shrub (a low woody perennial plant usually having several major stems)

Holonyms ("Jerusalem thorn" is a member of...):

genus Paliurus; Paliurus (thorny Eurasian shrubs)

Credits