bitternut

American  

[bit-er-nuht] / ˈbɪt ərˌnʌt /

noun

1. a hickory, Carya cordiformis, of the eastern and southern U.S., bearing a smooth, gray, bitter seed.

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bitternut British  

/ ˈbɪtəˌnʌt /

noun

1. an E North American hickory tree, Carya cordiformis , with thin-shelled nuts and bitter kernels

2. the nut of this plant

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Etymology

Origin of bitternut

An Americanism dating back to 1800–10; bitter + nut

Example Sentences

The nonnative trees include ponderosa pine from South Dakota and Nebraska, and bitternut hickory from southern Minnesota and Illinois.

From New York Times • Apr. 25, 2019

Palik pointed out bitternut hickory from southern Minnesota and Illinois.

From Washington Post

THE PRESIDENT: Isn't the bitternut several times as rapid in growth as the shagbark, or some others?

From Northern Nut Growers Association, Report of the Proceedings at the Seventh Annual Meeting Washington, D. C. September 8 and 9, 1916. by Northern Nut Growers Association

Too often shagbarks fail to unite with bitternut and frequently they are short-lived.

From Northern Nut Growers Association Incorporated 39th Annual Report at Norris, Tenn. September 13-15 1948 by Northern Nut Growers Association

The bitternut does well on shallow soil or the soil that is made shallow by high water.

From Northern Nut Growers Association Report of the Proceedings at the 43rd Annual Meeting Rockport, Indiana, August 25, 26 and 27, 1952 by Northern Nut Growers Association