sloe
/ˈsloʊ/
Word Rarity
Very rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.07 in modern English
4
Scrabble Score
4
Letters
1
Syllables
4
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
The small, astringent, wild fruit of the blackthorn (Prunus spinosa).
noun
The tree Prunus spinosa.
Example Sentences
- "There is also a dryness in the mouth from the increased action of the absorbent vessels, when a sloe or a crab-apple are masticated..."
- "The dew-drops fell like water, leaf after leaf dropped from the trees, the sloe-thorn alone still bore fruit, but the sloes were sour, and set the teeth on edge. Oh, how dark and weary the whole world appeared!"
- "Katúsha, with her eyes black as sloes, her face radiant with joy, was flying towards him, and they caught hold of each other's hands."
Etymology
From Middle English slo, sla, sloo, from Old English slā, slāh, from Proto-West Germanic *slaihā, from Proto-Germanic *slaihǭ, *slaihwō, from Proto-Indo-European *(s)leh₃y- (“bluish”). Doublet of Sliwa.
Origin
Word Breakdown
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ˈsloʊ/
- British English: /ˈsləʊ/