hickory

noun

hick·​o·​ry ˈhi-k(ə-)rē 

plural hickories

1

a

: any of a genus (Carya) of North American hardwood trees of the walnut family that often have sweet edible nuts

b

: the usually tough wood of a hickory

2

: a switch or cane (as of hickory wood) used especially for punishing a child

hickory adjective

Examples of hickory in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The men’s collection offers a Western denim shirt with red piping, Lee’s straight relaxed jean and utility jacket with a subtle paisley print and hickory striped carpenter shorts. —Angela Velasquez, Footwear News, 19 May 2026

Fire up your smoker to 250 degrees and add some hickory wood for that smoky goodness. —John Metcalfe, Mercury News, 19 May 2026

The Solid Stick, crafted from a single piece of acacia, hickory, or maple, is cut to its owner’s height and built to last a lifetime. —Air Mail, 9 May 2026

Back when hickory trees populated the South, people would gather up the hickory nuts before animals scavenged them away. —Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 6 May 2026

Word History

Etymology

short for obsolete pokahickory, from Virginia Algonquian pawcohiccora food prepared from pounded nuts

First Known Use

1670, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing hickory

• shagbark hickory

Rhymes for hickory

• trickery

Kids Definition

hickory

noun

hick·​o·​ry ˈhik-(ə-)rē 

plural hickories

1

: any of a genus of North American trees related to the walnut and having an edible nut with a hard shell

2

: the usually tough pale wood of a hickory

Geographical Definition

Hickory

geographical name

Hick·​o·​ry ˈhi-kə-rē 

city in west central North Carolina population 40,010