Jerusalem thorn

noun

: a widely cultivated tropical American spiny shrub or small tree (Parkinsonia aculeata) of the legume family with pinnate leaves and showy racemose yellow flowers

Word History

First Known Use

1866, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler

The first known use of Jerusalem thorn was in 1866

See more words from the same year

Cite this Entry

Style

“Jerusalem thorn.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Jerusalem%20thorn. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.

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