maythorn

IPA/mˈeɪθɔːn/
IPA/mˈeɪθɔːɹn/

maythorn — noun

1. an older, mostly literary name for the hawthorn — a small thorny tree or shrub w

1.nounC2
Definition

an older, mostly literary name for the hawthorn — a small thorny tree or shrub with white spring blossom, often planted in country hedges across the British Isles.

Example

Tara walked past the old maythorn in the churchyard, its branches white with May blossom.

the maythorn used with definite article for a specific tree

Otis trimmed the maythorn hedge along the back fence before the bees arrived.

collocation: maythorn hedge

Common collocations
  • a maythorn hedge
  • the maythorn blossom
  • a lone maythorn
  • an old maythorn
Synonyms
  • hawthorn

    the standard modern term; 'maythorn' is the older, literary or regional variant

  • May tree

    another folk name, emphasising the May flowering season

  • whitethorn

    British regional name highlighting the white blossom; close synonym

Grammar Patterns

the maythorn

a maythorn (hedge / bush / tree)

Usage Note

Older, mostly poetic alternative for 'hawthorn'; modern writers use 'hawthorn' or 'May tree' in everyday prose. Often appears in folklore, rural, or historical contexts.

Common Mistakes

I love the smell of maythorns in spring.
I love the smell of maythorn in spring.
usually used as an uncountable mass when referring to the blossom or the plant in general; the plural 'maythorns' is rare.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four names point to the same plant — the small thorny tree Crataegus monogyna that blooms with white flowers in May across Britain and Ireland. 'Hawthorn' is the modern, neutral term you will see in a field guide or a gardening book. 'Maythorn' is older and literary; it survives mainly in folklore, poetry, and place-names. 'Whitethorn' is a regional British folk name that highlights the colour of the spring blossom and is common in older country writing. 'May tree' is the everyday folk name used when people talk about the flowering, as in 'the May tree is out'. A modern gardener would say, 'I planted a hawthorn hedge'; a folk-tale would say, 'a lone maythorn stood on the hill'.

hawthorn ↗maythorn ↗whitethornMay tree

Common collocations

Nouns

  • maythorn hedge
  • maythorn blossom
  • maythorn tree

Phrases

  • a lone maythorn
  • an old maythorn

Prepositions

  • under the maythorn
  • beside the maythorn

Etymology

Old EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

A compound of 'May' (the month) and 'thorn' (the spiky tree), recorded in English since the late Middle Ages. The name reflects the plant's habit of flowering in May; 'hawthorn' itself comes from Old English haga meaning 'hedge', because the tree was the classic hedging plant of the British countryside.