jerusalem thorn

2 definitions found

jerusalem thorn - Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 :

  Jerusalem \Je*ru"sa*lem\ (j[-e]*r[udd]"s[.a]*l[e^]m), n. [Gr.
     'Ieroysalh`m, fr. Heb. Y[e^]r[=u]sh[=a]laim.]
     The chief city of Palestine, intimately associated with the
     glory of the Jewish nation, and the life and death of Jesus
     Christ.
     [1913 Webster]
  
     Jerusalem artichoke [Perh. a corrupt. of It. girasole i.e.,
        sunflower, or turnsole. See Gyre, Solar.] (Bot.)
     (a) An American plant, a perennial species of sunflower
         (Helianthus tuberosus), whose tubers are sometimes used
         as food.
     (b) One of the tubers themselves.
  
     Jerusalem cherry (Bot.), the popular name of either of two
        species of Solanum (Solanum Pseudo-capsicum and
        Solanum capsicastrum), cultivated as ornamental house
        plants. They bear bright red berries of about the size of
        cherries.
  
     Jerusalem oak (Bot.), an aromatic goosefoot (Chenopodium  Botrys
        ), common about houses and along roadsides.
  
     Jerusalem sage (Bot.), a perennial herb of the Mint family
        (Phlomis tuberosa).
  
     Jerusalem thorn (Bot.), a spiny, leguminous tree
        (Parkinsonia aculeata), widely dispersed in warm
        countries, and used for hedges.
  
     The New Jerusalem, Heaven; the Celestial City.
        [1913 Webster]

jerusalem thorn - WordNet (r) 2.1 (2005) :

  Jerusalem thorn
      n 1: thorny Eurasian shrub with dry woody winged fruit [syn:
           Christ's-thorn, Jerusalem thorn, Paliurus spina- christi
           ]
      2: spiny tree having dark red edible fruits [syn: jujube,
         jujube bush, Christ's-thorn, Jerusalem thorn, Ziziphus   jujuba
         ]
      3: 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 [syn: Jerusalem   thorn
         , horsebean, Parkinsonia aculeata]
      4: East Indian spiny tree having twice-pinnate leaves and yellow
         flowers followed by flat pods; source of black catechu [syn:
         catechu, Jerusalem thorn, Acacia catechu]