1. A thorny Eurasian bush with plumlike fruits; SYN. sloe, Prunus spinosa.
2. Erect and almost thornless American hawthorn with somewhat pear-shaped berries; SYN. pear haw, pear hawthorn, Crataegus calpodendron, Crataegus tomentosa.
Densely branched spiny European bush Prunus spinosa, family Rosaceae. It produces white blossom on black and leafless branches in early spring. Its sour, plumlike, blue-black fruit, the sloe, is used to make sloe gin.