Definition of buckthorn
1
: any of a genus (Rhamnus of the family Rhamnaceae, the buckthorn family) of often thorny trees or shrubs some of which yield purgatives or pigments
2
: a shrub or small tree (Bumelia lycioides) of the sapodilla family of the southern U.S.
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Merriam-Webster unabridged
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Time Traveler for buckthorn
The first known use of buckthorn was in 1578
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