boxthorn

9.9

A thorny bush or climbing plant with bright flowers and berries

noun
/ˈbɑksˌθɔrn/

: espino

Many gardeners love planting boxthorns for their vibrant berries.

Examples

The vibrant flowers of the boxthorn attract many pollinators during spring.
The farmer planted a row of boxthorn along the edge of the field as a natural barrier.
Some species of boxthorn produce edible berries that are rich in nutrients.
The boxthorn blooms beautifully in spring.
Some species of boxthorn produce edible berries that are rich in nutrients.
The vibrant flowers of the boxthorn attract many pollinators during spring.
The farmer planted a row of boxthorn along the edge of the field as a natural barrier.

Synonyms

Lycium

vsboxthorn

Specialized

1 9.9

A group of mostly spiny bushes that includes goji berry plants

refers to particular shrubs within that genus rather than the whole genus

matrimony vine

vsboxthorn

1 9.5

A bush or climbing plant with bright berries you can eat and showy flowers

applies to such shrubs more generally not restricted to Eurasia

Surface Forms

boxthorn singular

boxthorns plural

Morphology

boxthorn = box + thorn (transparent) = box + thorn

The compound is directly formed from 'box' + 'thorn' and denotes a thorny shrub associated with or resembling boxwood, a straightforward plant-name compound.

Etymology

Boxthorn is made from box ('boxwood') and thorn ('a sharp point'), which gives a simple picture: a spiny plant with leaves like a box shrub. That's why a boxthorn today means a thorny shrub or vine with showy flowers and bright berries.