thorn apple

[ thawrn ]

noun

1. any poisonous plant belonging to the genus Datura, of the nightshade family, the species of which bear capsules covered with prickly spines, especially the jimson weed, D. stramonium.
2. the fruit of certain hawthorns of the genus Crataegus.

thorn apple

noun

1. a poisonous solanaceous plant, Datura stramonium, of the N hemisphere, having white funnel-shaped flowers and spiny capsule fruits US and Canadian namejimson weed See also stramonium
2. any other plant of the genus Datura
3. the fruit of certain types of hawthorn

Word History and Origins

Origin of thorn apple¹

First recorded in 1570–80

Example Sentences

Atropine and scopolamine, powerful hallucinogens, can be found in plants in the nightshade family, among them mandrake, henbane and thorn apple.

From New York Times

The plant that caused a baby spinach recall in Australia was thorn apple, a nightshade, The Guardian reports.

From New York Times

A weed invasion took place in London, with bracken carpeting the nave of St. James and thorn apples growing in the cellars of Cheapside.

From Seattle Times

Jimsonweed, a k a Jamestown weed, mad apple, devil’s trumpet, locoweed, stinkwort or thorn apple, is a strikingly gothic-looking plant with seedpods that could have inspired the creator of “Little Shop of Horrors.”

From New York Times

I love the taste of thorn apples and sweet acorns and sumac and choke-cherries and all the wild things we used to find on the road to school.

From Project Gutenberg