mayhaw
mayhaw Lexical Profile
• noun
American The tart, red, cranberry-like fruit of several species of hawthorn trees native to the wetlands of the southeastern United States, highly prized for making a distinctive local jelly.
"Every spring, local families venture into the shallow swamplands to skim floating mayhaws from the water's surface for jelly."
American Any of the wetland-dwelling hawthorn trees (such as Crataegus aestivalis or Crataegus opaca) of the southeastern United States that bear this fruit.
"The native mayhaw thrives best in the damp, acidic soils found along Southern river basins and creek banks."
Word Origin & Etymology
American English origin, mid-19th century. A compound of 'May' (the month during which the fruit is traditionally harvested) and 'haw' (from Old English 'haga', referring to the hawthorn berry).
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.